Today's vaguely disturbing piece on the class war between you and people who are better than you comes in the form of this New York Times article: The Guardian of Gramercy Park’s Leafy Seclusion, a portrait of one Arlene Harrison, self-appointed mayor of Gramercy Park. Ms. Harrison appears to be the guardian of all things pretty, quiet, and locked securely behind wrought-iron fences.

[Harrison] has added to a list of regulations (no dogs, no feeding of birds, no groups larger than six people, no Frisbees or soccer balls or “hard balls” of any kind) that, in turn, have served to dictate how the park is — and is not — used. Most recently, she helped pave the way for Zeckendorf Realty to redevelop a 17-story Salvation Army boarding house on the south side of the park, and for the company’s plan to convert the 300 rooms into 14 floor-through apartments plus a penthouse duplex. The company would not confirm the transaction.

Yes, the Salvation Army does tend to attract undesirable elements, such as the poor and the young.

Actual use of the park is not Ms. Harrison’s measure. “It was always an ornamental park,” she said. “A lot of people don’t even go in to enjoy it. They’re so thrilled just to see it. It’s like a hotel room with a view of the ocean.”...

How Marie Antoinette.