As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

 

The building will have direct access to the new & improved Grand Central, meaning commuters from Connecticut, points north of The Bronx, and now the entirety of Long Island will have very simple commutes and won't have to get out in the weather.  Commuters from New Jersey will still have a typically complicated commute. 

 

What's interesting about the New York City area is the advantage Manhattan still has over the outer boroughs and New Jersey due to its commuter rail connections.  Lower Manhattan's only advantages over Midtown are PATH and the many ferries.

 

But Midtown has...THE TRAM!

 

As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

 

The building will have direct access to the new & improved Grand Central, meaning commuters from Connecticut, points north of The Bronx, and now the entirety of Long Island will have very simple commutes and won't have to get out in the weather.  Commuters from New Jersey will still have a typically complicated commute. 

 

What's interesting about the New York City area is the advantage Manhattan still has over the outer boroughs and New Jersey due to its commuter rail connections.  Lower Manhattan's only advantages over Midtown are PATH and the many ferries.

 

 

 

actually midtown has path and ferries too.

As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

 

 

at a $3B price tag (so far) its quite a project, but i find manhattan west/hudson yards much more out of the box than this tower, which is being built in response to these western midtown office developments. one vanderbilt is just tearing down some old bldgs and building new. that is not so unusual. now decking over a very wide open rail yard and then building similar towers to one vanderbilt on it? i would say that kind of outrageous hubris is fairly unique these days. a way bigger project and gamble than a new tower right next to grand central will be.

But Midtown has...THE TRAM!

 

 

 

downtown has a new 172 acre park -- phase 2 of 3 was just completed…and its only 800 yds from manhattan, so maybe an aerial tram to it someday!

 

http://www.governorsislandalliance.org/islanddevelopment/

I've yet to get out to Governor's Island since I moved here. I need to before it's too late.

 

I definitely agree Hudson Yards is probably the most "out there" development in the city, if not the country. Its proposed budget of $16B (which will almost undoubtedly be increased as time progresses) is insane. I go over there every once in awhile to check in on the construction. 10 Hudson Yards is a massive, dominating tower and to think its bigger neighbor, 30 Hudson Yards, will be hundreds of feet taller is crazy. That whole area is going to feel monstrous.

 

That being said, the west side of Manhattan in that area is generally...awful. From a pedestrian standpoint there's very little interest and it just doesn't have much character. Some great buildings have gone up, but they need that pre-war filler the rest of Manhattan has to truly work. That's why buildings like One Vanderbilt will feel so much more significant. They're a part of the city. Hudson Yards, while connecting areas that were split by the rail yard, will very unlikely feel like a true neighborhood. It will suffer from its own exuberance. Having only massive towers isn't generally a comfortable setting. Just ask Dubai.

I've yet to get out to Governor's Island since I moved here. I need to before it's too late.

 

I definitely agree Hudson Yards is probably the most "out there" development in the city, if not the country. Its proposed budget of $16B (which will almost undoubtedly be increased as time progresses) is insane. I go over there every once in awhile to check in on the construction. 10 Hudson Yards is a massive, dominating tower and to think its bigger neighbor, 30 Hudson Yards, will be hundreds of feet taller is crazy. That whole area is going to feel monstrous.

 

That being said, the west side of Manhattan in that area is generally...awful. From a pedestrian standpoint there's very little interest and it just doesn't have much character. Some great buildings have gone up, but they need that pre-war filler the rest of Manhattan has to truly work. That's why buildings like One Vanderbilt will feel so much more significant. They're a part of the city. Hudson Yards, while connecting areas that were split by the rail yard, will very unlikely feel like a true neighborhood. It will suffer from its own exuberance. Having only massive towers isn't generally a comfortable setting. Just ask Dubai.

I've saved you the visit. Just look at my photothread from two years ago :-)--

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=29341.0

As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

 

The building will have direct access to the new & improved Grand Central, meaning commuters from Connecticut, points north of The Bronx, and now the entirety of Long Island will have very simple commutes and won't have to get out in the weather.  Commuters from New Jersey will still have a typically complicated commute. 

 

What's interesting about the New York City area is the advantage Manhattan still has over the outer boroughs and New Jersey due to its commuter rail connections.  Lower Manhattan's only advantages over Midtown are PATH and the many ferries.

 

 

 

actually midtown has path and ferries too.

 

True but the midtown ferries don't bump right up to the office buildings.  Also, the PATH line to Penn doesn't put people in easy walking distance of all of Midtown, but I remember looking up the ridership stats several years ago and I was surprised to see that the midtown branch serves more passengers than the World Trade Center branch. 

 

^Midtown Manhattan has far more employment than Downtown Manhattan, so that makes sense.

^Midtown Manhattan has far more employment than Downtown Manhattan, so that makes sense.

 

I'm not sure what the long-term employment projections are for Downtown, but many of the old office buildings have or will soon be converted into residential, which obviously offsets some of the employment gains from the replacement World Trade Center towers. 

 

It would be interesting to know if Midtown interests acted against construction of express lanes on the new Second Ave. subway...it's not hard to envision an express train scenario that would have permitted Metro North passengers to detrain(!) at 125th and ride express all the way south to Wall St. with perhaps five station stops, thereby avoiding the chaos of Grand Central and the 4,5,6 service south from that point.  Yes, there is express south of Grand Central, but that transfer has to suck compared to the relative serenity of 125th.   

 

I'm going to go right on ahead and say there was likely no need since the budget for the T line is laughably low and there has never been and will never be enough money for a 4-track configuration being bored out in Manhattan without massive shifts in how this country funds transit.

As a non-New Yorker, that project is mind-boggling.  A block of pretty large historic buildings being torn down for an absolutely massive modern building. I can't think of any other American city where such a project would be (1) approved, and (2) financially viable.

 

The building will have direct access to the new & improved Grand Central, meaning commuters from Connecticut, points north of The Bronx, and now the entirety of Long Island will have very simple commutes and won't have to get out in the weather.  Commuters from New Jersey will still have a typically complicated commute. 

 

What's interesting about the New York City area is the advantage Manhattan still has over the outer boroughs and New Jersey due to its commuter rail connections.  Lower Manhattan's only advantages over Midtown are PATH and the many ferries.

 

 

 

actually midtown has path and ferries too.

 

True but the midtown ferries don't bump right up to the office buildings.  Also, the PATH line to Penn doesn't put people in easy walking distance of all of Midtown, but I remember looking up the ridership stats several years ago and I was surprised to see that the midtown branch serves more passengers than the World Trade Center branch. 

 

 

 

well, the midtown ferries have their own rather massive bus system.

 

also, downtown ferries are not always near offices either. actually its a bigger pain to walk around downtown than midtown, with the twists and turns and hills and dales. walking from an east river ferry to the wtc for example, is not at all as easy as it may look on a map. i'd much rather walk that distance across midtown.

I'm going to go right on ahead and say there was likely no need since the budget for the T line is laughably low and there has never been and will never be enough money for a 4-track configuration being bored out in Manhattan without massive shifts in how this country funds transit.

 

The 63rd St. tunnel was the last 4-track tunnel, built around 1968-1970, although the two levels were divided between what is now the F train and the lower tunnel for the east side access LIRR trains.  I rode that line (whatever it was) to Roosevelt Island before the line became the F in 2001.  It was like a ghost town, and really weird to be in an NYC subway station that was completely out of character with the rest of the system.  Keep in mind that that ridiculously expensive project was built back when we were funding the Vietnam War, the Apollo moon missions, building the bulk of the interstate highway system, locks and dams, etc.  We had virtually zero national debt. 

 

 

 

well, the midtown ferries have their own rather massive bus system.

 

Did not know that. 

 

George Bellows house, E. 19th St.

 

 

 

In addition to the George Bellows house, this short block, E. 19th St. between 3rd Ave and Irving Place, is one of the most beautiful in New York, a great mix of architectural styles. Here are a few more scenes--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I adore that block.

This year a fire destroyed the 161-year old St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral on W. 25th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves), just hours after Easter services. It was attributed to some candles that were left burning unattended into the evening (although there are some more sinister theories: http://nypost.com/2016/05/07/ex-mobster-accused-of-starting-massive-cathedral-fire/). No one was injured, but obviously it's going to take a fortune to restore the church, if in fact the congregation decides to do so. The church, originally Episcopalian, was where writer Edith Wharton was married in 1885--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and if you walk by on a Sunday, there's a flea market in the parking lot next door filled with many colorful objets d'art :|

 

 

 

 

Just a few pictures of an old school in my neighborhood that was recently restored. I wish they would have done this with more Ohio schools instead of tearing them down (not that any of the schools I ever attended looked this grand). But my guess is that not only is it more costly to build a new school in NYC, but also there's just no where to put a replacement. What little land is available must be available for developers to build super-expensive housing for overpaid Wall St. people :-P

 

 

 

 

 

This seems to be an unusual location for a Ukrainian Church, on Broome St. near the Bowery, which is in Nolita, or vaguely in the far NE corner of Little Italy. Maybe at one time it had a Ukrainian population