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John Deutzman over at My Fox NY is on the warpath over illegal hotels in the city, specifically the Marrakech, the Broadway Hotel and the Royal Park Hotel, which rent rooms to tourists but refuse to accept guests from New York. Why? Because these Upper West Side buildings, all owned by one Hank Freid, are actually zoned as permanent occupancy residential buildings, and Freid doesn't want any locals moving in and demanding a lease. After all, he already has to put up with guys like Franco Medina, a resident of the Royal Park for the past 32 years, who sheepishly admits to paying just $252 a month, while tourists pay as much as $260 a night.
In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg cracked down on a few illegal hotels, going so far as to get a court injunction to shut them down. But operators like Freid continue to flout the law and stay in business, despite numerous fire, building and health violations at each of his properties.
When confronted by Deutzman—who loves that Freid misspells "chic hotel experince"—on his website, Freid tells him, "Get off my property, you're harassing me."
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Why doesn't CM Gale Brewer do anything. I call her on this before. damn. Also bad news for the NYC carriage horses.
Same date - Friday, January 30 - NEW TIME - 1PM
THIS INFORMATION IS ACCURATE AS OF 1:30 PM TODAY, JANUARY 26TH - DISREGARD ALL OTHER NOTICES YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED. We have just been notified of a change in time for the public hearing. Because of that, CM Avella's press conference is also changed. See below.
DATE: Friday, January 30, 2009
PRESS CONFERENCE: 12:00 noon for the Avella Press conference on the steps of City Hall
PUBLIC HEARING - 1:00 PM Council Hearing begins (get there at least 1/2 hour before)
WHERE: City Hall - 2nd floor Council Chambers (there is no street address.) You may enter on either the Broadway or Park Row side.
TRAVEL: All subways stop near City Hall. NOTE: Notices about the hearing sent out by Peta and others have mistakenly indicated incorrect addresses. IT IS NOT AT 250 OR 260 BROADWAY. THE HEARING IS AT CITY HALL - 2ND FLOOR.
We are very distressed about this turn of events and blame it solely on Speaker Christine Quinn and her cronies. This is the second time the Hearing date/time has changed. Either they are totally disorganized - or Quinn is trying to shut us down. PLEASE forward this new information to everyone and PLEASE some out. With Liam Neeson and the Teamsters, we need everyone to stand tall and be there for the carriage horses.
Wrong post, felixdacat, unless Fried is also refusing to rent to carriage horses.
this really irks the hell out of me - how on earth do they "flout the law"? Why can't this city actually shut them down?!?? Drop the dude in jail!
Agreed. They need to get tough with these guys because they are greatly reducing the housing stock of the City.
Guess who contributes to bloombergs re-election campaign.
The only person who finances Bloomberg is Bloomberg. He could be the richest man in NY and you think he begs for campaign cash?
The city can't shut him down?
How about a civil rights class action lawsuit against a corporation that refuses service to people based on the state the come from!
Andrew Cuomo should be ale to bring a case against Fried for discriminatory practices.
ahem, ...they come from!
This isn't a new story. The Observer had something last May about Fried and The Villager had a piece on illegal hotels about two years ago.
He looks like Barry Manilow...after an earthquake.