My guy, the period you’re referring to was very well known for the existence of incredibly dense tenements. Much more so than today and with very little oversight into safety standards. The quality of life for individuals living in such buildings was quite low and their homes, in many instances, were basically firetraps.

There was more development going on but also a lot more disease, death, and suffering. This changed a bit after 1916 with the intro of the city’s zoning ordinances (the first of it’s kind in the country) and much more significantly in 61’ when the resolution was revisited and EXTENSIVELY updated. Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) established near there after (65’) and the rest, as they say, is history.

Im simply pointing out to you the reality of the situation. If you really wanted to make a dent in housing costs here, you’d upzone Queens immediately. I doubt even that would make a significant difference unless done very aggressively which would open up an entirely different can of worms.

And I don’t really appreciate your attitude towards me, calling me a NIMBY and such. I have been an advocate for affordable housing my entire life, my family dealt with tough times when I was growing up because of the excessive raising rents here. I worked as a city planner for 5 years and have a pretty good idea of how the development process works.

Regardless, Merry Christmas.