She Doesn't Even Live Here

An interesting sentence deep within the New York Times' farewell piece to Florent, the timeless Meatpacking District diner that closed for good on Sunday:

Speculation about what would happen to the space next was put to rest, more or less, late last week with the surprising news that the owner, Joanne Lucas, planned to open a diner in the coming days. Ms. Lucas, in an interview from her home in New England, said she had turned down handsome rent offers, and had concluded that she did not have the heart to part with it. The diner, which has been in her family since 1955, would revert to its former name, the R & L Restaurant, and she said she planned to hire some of Florent’s workers.

"From her home in New England"! She doesn't even live here! No wonder she could so blithely shut the place down.

People who own property here should live here. If you're going to play Monopoly with the community, you should at least be part of the community.