In a message dated 98-05-12 17:50:20 EDT, [log in to unmask] writes:

> You're curious as to how they MAKE MONEY doing this? I think you should
>  wonder about some other things first, I mean really?

Hilary,

OK. What is it like to be a preservation contractor in NYC? Today I am
wondering why it started out with a bad mood (the rain stopped), resulted in
my car being towed (not good to park in the garment district), and I seem to
have a large and fairly obvious rip in the side of my pants. As well, the
taxis are on strike, or something akin to that, and Manhattan seems so
wonderful and pleasant, serene without them. So after making one appointment
at Parsons School of Design (they do a lot of sewing there) to look at a
failing brick wall, and on a tangent to learn about the politics of saving an
historic town hall in a small town in CT, and then visiting a terra cotta
building in Tribeca (a former water works building owned by the guy that put
Frank Purdue on the TV) where I was perplexed by a persistent water leak and
was admonished to attend church more often, I also got to ride around on the
subway with torn pants and walk about 10 blocks through Manhattan in order to
pay cash to release the car at the impoundment lot. I have to say that I made
it through the lot fairly quickly and that everyone was quite friendly -- the
city government has recognized that this is a place where many tourists to the
city end up. One aspect of cultural tourism is to NOT inadvertently put the
tourists through hell. The lot is located on the Hudson east of the Javitts
Convention Center, where you have to run across the West Side Highway. This is
about the most unpeople friendly place to be walking around and is a testimony
to the stupidity of modern urban planning. Sadly, somewhat tired of my
walking, I did take note of the fellow who was systematicaly walking down the
street removing the radio antennas from the parked cars. During the adventure
I got to read about restoration activities at Battery Park. There are other
things I am wondering about, but they are best kept to myself. Back to work.

][<en