Stanton Building Across from Sara Roosevelt Park:
“Thelma Burdick, for whom the building was named, was instrumental to the Lower East Side’s fight for affordable housing.
In the 1950s, she helped to lead a victory against Robert Moses, a legendarily powerful official in the 20th century who was the mastermind behind many of the New York area’s parks, highways and bridges.
The protesters won a commitment from the city to develop affordable housing like the Burdick.
And the building was named after her.
Now…
“Nearly six years after tenants agreed to the deal that paved the way for the hotel, they are still waiting on a playground.
“These days, 43.5 percent of New York City’s population lives below or near poverty, defined as a family of four with an income of $32,402.
The contrast between rich and poor is extreme in the yellow spots on the map below, where at least 40 percent of the families make less than $30,000 a year and at least 5 percent of the households have an annual income above $200,000….”