The NY 40

Time Out has a cover story on the 40 most loved New Yorkers and their thoughts on the city's changes and future. A selected selection:

Amy Sedaris: "The future and fear is that it is turning into everywhere else and street names will eventually be replaced with corporations’ names: Meet me on the corner of Johnson & Johnson, west of Procter & Gamble, take the Costco 1 train, switch at Bell South. I’ll be in front of Mega Wal-Mart next to the Pfizer museum. Bullies always win."

David Cross: "Should I get out of the East Village now? Can you keep the proliferation of the mallification of New York to Times Square, which is already ruined? ...My pressing urgent hope is that the city is able to keep its character and doesn’t sell out to corporate interests... I remember when the Gap opened on St. Marks Street, and I remember when it closed. Throw it all in Times Square! That’s where people go who want that shit anyway."

Nellie McKay: "Unfortunately, the city’s been sold to the rich, and development is out of control. I feel the city is losing a lot of its character and a lot of its diversity. Those are positives that are going away from the city, and so if we can work and stave off people who are in it to make a killing and instead retain a lot of the things we love the most, that’s the way to go."

Patti Lupone: "I so preferred it when my life was in danger walking the streets of Times Square. I would rather have a sex shop than an Applebee’s."

Kelly Reichardt: "the future of New York is that it continues to become this amusement park. We need to get the peep shows and dirty bookstores back on 42nd Street so that people will go visit Disney in Florida and California. We need more mo’-better rent protection, fewer NYU dorms and more off-leash hours."

John Zorn: "Everyone is complaining about the East Village—I love the East Village. I’ve been tromping around it since 1965 and it’s a beautiful place. Sure it’s changed. People sometimes have a very hard time accepting change. Remember what Heracleitus said: You can’t step in the same river twice."

And on the list of loved but hated New Yorkers? Sarah Jessica Parker and Darren Star--"They made it okay for the rest of the world (and their tour bus) to think NYC is all about Cosmos, pricey shoes and rent-controlled apartments"--and The Magnolia Bakery girls--"They made people believe cupcakes were cool [but] that it was acceptable to wait in line for an hour to get one."