News reports as recent as April 2009 said that the building's owner, the Rockefeller Group, wanted to keep Manny's as a tenant. Yet the current New Yorker article -- predictably -- does not even mention that now Rockefeller refuses to renew Manny's lease or to discuss this matter for public comment.

While the Wall is a fine idea, finer still would be a vibrant Manny's under independent ownership: Then the Wall would be a welcome addition to Manny's, rather than a memorial.

If a city is to be more than a collection of tall buildings, its unique spaces and neighborhoods must be respected and preserved. How many cities have an area comparable to Music Row?

Reportedly, Rockefeller intends to raze Music Row and replace it with office building skyscrapers. Joni Mitchell said it well -- get rid of paradise, put up a parking lot.

A mayor with integrity and a soul, rather than a mind like a cash register, might have sought to preserve Music Row. Why not get Manny's designated as an historic site? That could stop the greedy ones in their tracks.