Greetings from Asbury Park

NJN1: Friday, March 19, 2010 at 8 pm

For nearly 50 years, Angie, 91, lived in her little seaside cottage without worry. Building a home, becoming everyone’s favorite Greek auntie. Loving her neighbors and her pretty postcard town. Now, her home will be taken by eminent domain. In fact, 29 city blocks of homes, businesses, apartments and historic boardwalk attractions are now boarded up and ready for the wrecking ball. They belong to a private developer and will be razed to make way for 3,100 luxury condos, an ersatz city within a city.

But this is welcome progress, and terrific tax revenues, say city officials. The revitalized Asbury Park will be a thrilling combination of SoHo and South Beach. We learn that nationwide, eminent domain, once reserved for public projects such as roads, bridges and schools, is increasingly employed for private development and private gain.

Meanwhile, the bulldozers are in Angie's backyard, and Angie's attorney breaks the news to her. A court case challenge is difficult and costly. This could be the last summer her beloved garden will be in bloom. "I came to the United States a displaced person, and I will be again a displaced person," she says sadly.