"New York has closed itself off to the young and the struggling. But there are other cities. Detroit. Newark. Poughkeepsie… New York City has been taken away from you… So my advice is: Find a new city."

Patti Smith, correctly answering if it is still possible for a young non-trust fund artist to thrive in New York City.

This found via this quote from David Harvey about Bloomberg’s demolition of any semblance of a “City” in New York City:

“The billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is reshaping the city along lines favourable to developers, Wall Street and transnational capitalist-class elements, and promoting the city as an optimal location for high-value businesses and a fantastic destination for tourists. He is, in effect, turning Manhattan into one vast gated community for the rich.”