A study in contrasts this afternoon on the Lower East Side. The two rallies pictured above took place at the very same time. They were only about two blocks apart. But, in many respects, they were worlds away. The first picture is from a well-attended rally organized by State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney and the Seward Park Co-op to save the Clinton Street post office. The second picture is from an event (also attracting a good crowd) marking the 42nd year since the city bulldozed 2-thousand homes on the parcels known as the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. At this gathering, those co-op residents down the street and Speaker Silver, came under heavy criticism for allegedly blocking redevelopment of SPURA. There’s a lot more to say about both events, of course. We’ll post video reports tomorrow morning.
