Tea at Trianon: The Homeless at Grand Central

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, March 7, 2020

The Homeless at Grand Central

From The New York Post:

Joe Germanotta claims homeless people in Grand Central’s basement food court cut his business by 30 percent since he opened Art Bird & Whiskey Bar in 2018.

“The homeless go in there to stay warm. We’re compassionate, but it affects our customers,” Germanotta told The Post this week. “When the homeless invade our areas, it becomes a less attractive place.” Frustrated with what he perceives as the MTA’s refusal to address the issue — along with a bevy of other ongoing issues, like a rodent problem, poorly maintained restrooms and outdated seating — Germanotta is refusing to pay a portion of the $40,000 rent and $10,000 in fees he owes each month. The MTA is seeking $260,000 in rent and fees, which he says he must pay in the next two weeks or the authority will begin the eviction process.

“I don’t think they were prepared [to manage the space],” he said. “Quite frankly, I think they’re more interested in running the trains.”

“I’ve seen people washing their hair in the sink. I’ve seen a turd in the urinal,” he said. If steps aren’t taken to “upgrade” the space, Germanotta said, he’ll leave — and expects to be compensated for the money he’s invested. Other food court vendors said the homeless are hurting their business, too. (Read more.)