Such widespread condemnation is the result of efforts of Hell's Kitchen activists, who efficiently and energetically mobilized against the plan. Even on the eve of the Council hearings, activists could be found manning the phone banks, painting hats and preparing statements. They have done a tremendous job educating the public about this plan. And, as public awareness has grown, so has public opposition. The City Council is set to vote in the next week or two.
Activists are phone banking, e-mailing, painting and donning protest caps.
These grassroots efforts should not go unnoticed. It is such movements that bring change in what can be an otherwise daunting city. A few miles to the north, residents of the Manhattan Valley neighborhood at 106th Street have helped their block take some turns for the better of late. Neighborhood residents most recently celebrated the transformation of the Castle Hotel, at one time frequented by drug users and prostitutes before it was closed down two years ago. A youth hostel now stands in its stead.