Posted by Leonard Steinberg on November 10th, 2013

Founder of LULULEMON Chip Wilson said the unthinkable the other day: he suggested that those stretchy see-through-ish yoga pants were not for all body types: HOW DARE HE! Obviously some of his production delivered excessively sheer product, for which he apologized. Its not enough. It seems everyone these days feels they are entitled to everything.

So what does this have to do with real estate? In New York  real estate land there is a growing sense of entitlement, that regardless of what you can or cannot afford, you should be able to live anywhere you want. I am the biggest believer in affordable housing (only of course if it is provided to those who truly deserve it, is provided with contractual obligations and is subject to audit) but why on earth should anyone be ENTITLED to live in a super-prime location and building just because? Most short people, tall people, skinny people, fat people who don’t look good in certain clothes simply wear other clothes? Carolina Herrera’s best accessorizing style advice is to buy a full length mirror. I shop certain stores where they simply don’t stock my size: I shop elsewhere where they do! I cannot afford to fly in a private plane: I don’t whine about that not being fair. I am simply not entitled to that. I am not entitled to drive a Bugatti. Bugatti’s for all? I am not entitled to walk through Gramercy Park. There are other parks open to all. Why do some feel it is their RIGHT to do so? Are lots in Highland Park, Dallas or Beverly Hills set aside for affordable housing? If you live in London or Paris (a rather Socialist town) you are not ENTITLED to live in a very fancy building or neighborhood…..just because.

Some New Yorkers need to take a reality check. There are other much more important areas where the constitution demands fair and equal treatment than everyone’s right to live at a certain address or wear LULULEMON stretch-see-through pants!