Mark Twain and New York in the 1990s

Real Estate Weekly, May 22, 1996 by Daniel Rose

In short, to permit us to achieve and maintain our position as the center of the emerging new world of ideas, our quality of life must go up; and the cost of doing business here must go down, both in the city and throughout the metropolitan region.

The future of the region and the city are inextricably linked. Not nations, not cities, but regions will be the dominant entities in the years ahead; and it is worth noting that, in the case of New York City, roughly one-third of the city's income ends up in the pockets of commuters.

In the years ahead, one hopes that cooperation, not the present beggar-thy-neighbor competition, will mark relationships within the region, since city and suburbs share a common destiny.

And that destiny will be bright if New York continues to attract and retain the world's most productive people.

Our urban philosopher, Mark Twain, once spoke of the calm confidence of "a true Christian gentleman holding four aces." As far as productive people go, New York does hold four aces!