Gentrification Arrives at a Crossroads in Yorkville – New York Times
The intersection of Lexington Avenue and 86th Street is arguably the crossroads of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, a transportation hub within easy walking distance of some of the costliest real estate in the city. Yet for decades it has resisted gentrification.
On the southeast corner, next to an express subway station that is the 11th busiest in the system, are the remnants of a diner that closed several years ago. On the block between 85th and 86th Streets are a handful of dilapidated tenement buildings dating to the 1920’s or earlier whose tenants have included snack-food retailers, a tax preparer, a fortune teller and a tanning salon.