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Gawker Civics, Part II (or whatever): Some people like to protest by riding bicycles and clogging traffic. Others think getting naked makes a point. In the most extreme cases of progressive radicalism, there are the few who actually run for political office. Sure, like that makes a difference. Oh, we tease. Enter Dan Garodnick, a lawyer living in Peter Cooper Village of Manhattan. He shares a vision of the future of East Side commuting and, like he says, it's all about the 2nd Avenue Subway Line. Now that's worth taking your clothes off for.

Age: 32
Location: Manhattan
Occupation: Lawyer

1. You're running for City Council. Why you? Why now?

I am hoping to fill the shoes of a fellow Democrat, Eva Moskowitz, when she runs for higher office next year. The Council district runs from 14th to 97th Street on the East Side, and includes Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town, Waterside Plaza,Turtle Bay, parts of Murray Hill, Central Park South, and most of the Upper East Side. It's also the district where I was born and raised.

Most people don't know exactly what the Council does. There are 51 members, and each represents a separate district from around the City. They, along with the state legislature, do the lawmaking for all of New York City, pass the budget (which is larger than many State budgets in America), and they oversee
all of the mayoral agencies. It's a pretty big responsibility, but it doesn't get taken as seriously as it should by New Yorkers.

Having grown up in New York City with two working parents, I know that New Yorkers are looking for essentially the same thing. And it's not complicated. They want to be able to send their kids to a decent public school, so they don't feel a need to flee to the suburbs to find one. They want to feel safe from crime, and want an affordable place to live, preferably with some closet space.

I think I'm the right guy for this job — not just because I have strong ties to the community, but also because my experience prepares me well for this. I've fought for fair funding of City public schools. I also ran a program in 42 City public schools where we sent bi-racial teams of volunteers in to classrooms to engage students in candid discussions about race, stereotyping, and how to use non-violent means to affect social change. It's pretty impressive how much can be accomplished when people let down their guard for a minute and start talking honestly to one another. I've also worked to support a living wage for working families. I'm very concerned about the state of education, public safety, and affordable housing in this City, and trying to make city government run smoothly and effectively.

Being a City Councilman is much more than just showing up for the votes. It means having a constant presence in the district, and working with various constituencies to make things happen. I think East Siders deserve a representative who is going to give this everything they've got. And that's exactly what I intend to do.

2. East Siders will rejoice, thank the heavens and more literally, the ground below them, if the 2nd Avenue subway line is ever fully constructed. Who are the main opponents to this plan and why are they so wrong?

And they should rejoice, because a full-length Second Avenue subway is too important — and long overdue.

The main opponents are the people and businesses who will be displaced as a result of the construction. It's hard to say that they are wrong — because they are going to have to live through intense noise and construction. The drilling of a shaft will close two whole lanes on Second Avenue in the Nineties. Also, the new station entrances are going to be built inside existing buildings — not on sidewalks. So there is going to be disruption for people who live and work in those buildings.

But the show must go on. The 4/5/6 line is the most crowded in the City — and one of the most densely populated public transportation lines in the entire country. On the East Side, historically, there was a Second Avenue elevated line (taken down in 1941), and a Third Avenue elevated line (taken down in 1956). Now, all that's left is the Lexington Avenue line. Anyone who has traveled on the 4/5/6 line at rush hour knows how crushing the crowds can be. Also, people (like the residents of Peter Cooper/Stuy Town/Waterside Plaza) who live east of First Avenue have one of the longest walks in Manhattan to get to a
subway.

3. Peter Cooper Village doesn't make the news regularly (probably a good thing) so I'm wondering how much it has changed since you grew up there?

The squirrels have certainly gotten more bold, and so has the landlord.

Met Life, which owns the complex, has been doing a lot of renovations to Peter Cooper/Stuyvesant Town apartments. They do improvements, and then push the rent over $2,000, which takes them out of the rent stabilization system. As a result, there are many fewer rent stabilized tenants in the community than when
I grew up, and the market-rate apartments have skyrocketed in price. The result is that there is a much more transient community — including a number of college students from NYU. Of course, when you have people coming in and out over shorter terms, the community loses a little bit of its charm.

There's a lot going on in the neighborhood these days (I know, because I live on Peter Cooper Road). The management is currently repaving, renovating, and planting — and making a whole lot of noise in the process. For months on end it has felt like a constant construction zone. Unfortunately, the tenants don't get much information from the landlord about the purpose and duration of these projects. This community is lucky to have a very active tenants association, and I think the Council Member should be actively supportive of their work — both serving as a forceful tenants' advocate, as well as mediating the inevitable disputes that arise.

4. East side heliports. Let's build more, more, more! Helicopters should be a widely available, cheap alternative for all! Okay, maybe not, but how about the FDR Drive? I see the construction but what exactly is the future of east side transportation?

It's all about the Second Avenue Subway line. Running 8.5 miles between 125th Street and Hanover Square at William and Pearl Streets, it's going to include stations in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Gramercy Park, and other spots on the East Side — all areas that have been starved for a subway
line for years. Nearly half of all subways in the MTA system would link directly to the new line, giving easy access to and from downtown from virtually any part of the city and making the lives of East Siders a little easier.

This should be the number one transportation priority not only for the East Side, but also for the entire City.

5. Time Travel question: What time era, day, or event in New York City's history would you like to re-live?

I would have liked to have been around in 1783 when the British left New York City, and returned it to American control. After 7 years of occupation, I'm guessing that was a pretty good night to be out on the town.

Dan Garodnick s Top Five

Theater: "All My Sons" by Arthur Miller.
Music: Ray Charles.
A Book: "All Politics is Local" by Tip O'Neill.
Television: "Seinfeld."
People who have most influenced me: My family.

—Andrew Krucoff and Chris Gage conduct a daily interview series for Gawker.