PhD Thesis Waiting To Happen

Next to my building on Avenue B is the Tompkins Square Gospel Fellowship. This is a church organization hailing from North Carolina. They have transformed the townhouse at 149 Avenue B into their church / meetinghouse / living quarters / visitors quarters. They have owned the building since 1985.

These kind people have a style befitting their roots and values, a style that points to them as "greenhorns" in the city. They did not move here to be changed, but rather to impart their values to the city.

Now, here is the thesis. Which is stronger, the City, or the people of the Gospel Fellowship? Are they more likely to be changed by the city or have an impact on the neighborhood? Of course this is an infinitely sliding scale. This is a classic situation, and those specialized in this type of research may be well advised to explore this opportunity.