Reddit reviews 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building

Well, I’m a woman, and I grew up in NYC, and, no, I can’t say I’ve ever witnessed an aggressive panhandler specifically targeting women and children, but it’s possible that I have and don’t remember. I can say that I never felt personally targeted because I was a child or a woman.

When you live there, you quickly learn to not make eye contact with the panhandlers and just keep walking. The unfortunate reality is that homeless people and panhandlers begging for money just become a part of life after a while, and you learn to navigate them like you learn to navigate every other facet of living in the city. But I will say that my encounters with what I would define as “aggressive” panhandlers and homeless people, as in those who made me genuinely fear for my or other people’s safety, were few and far between, and the vast majority of those few were obviously very mentally ill.

I also have to challenge the theory that the uber wealthy will leave the city if a homeless shelter is opened in their neighborhood. First, “billionaire’s row” is a bit of a misnomer for that neighborhood. It wasn’t a particularly notable neighborhood until they built 157 W. 57th St., and I feel like this “billionaire’s row” label is just a marketing strategy aimed making that neighborhood appear more desirable than it is.

The actual “billionaire’s row” in Manhattan is on the Upper East Side, between 5th Ave. and Park Ave., from roughly 86th St. to 66th St. Within or just outside of that geographical area, there are three centers that serve the homeless, including a women’s shelter and a residence for formerly homeless men and women with mental illnesses. The third is an outpatient clinic on 73rd & Madison, which opened in 2007, and treats mentally ill and drug addicted homeless people. The clinic’s location is pretty much smack dab in the middle of probably the wealthiest stretch of blocks in the city, in terms of residents’ net worth. It’s three blocks away from what is arguably the most exclusive apartment building on the entire island.

And because I happen to know exactly where this clinic is located, I can tell you that if you weren’t looking for it, you’d have no idea it was even there.

So, please, spare me your histrionics and doomsday scenarios about how providing services and shelter to homeless people in wealthy neighborhoods is going to cause property values to plummet, crime to spike, billionaires to flee to Greenwich or Bedford and the city’s tax coffers to dry up. This is NY. Please don’t lump us in with the literal shit show happening on the west coast.

Totally agree. I will check out Park Ave.

By the way, is that documentary based on the book 740 Park Ave? I highly suggest reading that. Very fun easy read. Eye opener for anyone not familar with the truely upper crust of society.

http://www.amazon.com/740-Park-Richest-Apartment-Building/dp/0767917448

http://mgross.com/writing/books/740-park/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/740_Park_Avenue

Hopefully this one isn't news to you: http://www.amazon.com/740-Park-Richest-Apartment-Building/dp/0767917448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462417119&sr=8-1&keywords=740+park