NYT on Manhattanville

<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/nyregion/20columbia.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/nyregion/20columbia.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>For my american government class we have to read an article every week, summarize it and write our comments. While quickly looking for an article an hour before it was due I found this one and was actually going to post a thread about it myself. I'm wondering what all your thoughts are on it?</p>

<p>I, and most columbia students, feel like Harlem's being treated more or less fairly, and see the need for expansion. If you've walked through that neighborhood late at night, as I have on a number of occasions (Prentiss hall, fairway, dinosaur BBQ are the highlights), you can see how the board of health might consider it blighted. And the expansion would definitely create more jobs where currently there are fewer and raise property values. It's a win-win for everyone, and very few people are having their living spaces displaced (and those who are are being offered fair rates from what i can tell).</p>

<p>I consider myself socially liberal, but imho columbia's not being some sort of racist monster here, as some would contend.</p>

<p>I don't understand the impetus for this Times piece. There's nothing new to report in this article beyond any of their previous commentary on this development.</p>