Three years ago, a bastion of buildings labeled “TRUMP PLACE,” in that familiar, bold and gold typeface, greeted anyone entering Manhattan via the Henry Hudson Parkway. These towers sit in the Upper West Side, a loyally liberal neighborhood in an already more-liberal-than-most city, and, once Trump’s political campaign began in earnest, residents were keen for a change. According to the New York Times, 200 Riverside Boulevard won a battle this month to remove the polarizing president’s moniker from above their front door, becoming the last in their row to do so.
Though the Trump Organization simply manages, and does not own, the building, the company threatened legal action against the board when discussions about removing the letters from the façade began in 2017. Trump first became affiliated with the property in 2000, when the building, like many others, bought the right to use his name in order to increase appeal. With the political tables turning in recent years, the Trump name no longer seems to conjure images of luxurious living, however.
In May, a Supreme Court judge ruled on the case that residents have the right to remove the Trump name from their building so long as they have the majority. As of October 10th, over 66 percent of 200 Riverside Boulevard’s condo owners moved to take the letters down. Although the cost to do so was estimated at $23,000, and the board wasted no time, prying them off the building last Thursday.
