September 7, 20168 yr From the photos I've seen of the Oculus, it seems pretty underwhelming on the interior. Maybe in person the scale of the building is more awe-inspiring than it appears in photos, but it basically just looks like a big, stark white open space- not much to it.
September 7, 20168 yr ^I thought it's pretty spectacular (maybe it's my pictures :|), at least at first sight. the white "ribs," or whatever they're called, soar much higher than it shows in the first picture (although you should email Santiago Calatrava and tell him your thoughts. I'm sure he's able to take constructive criticism--lol). Here's my post from March (I guess I meant to put this one in the WTC thread)-- http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,10370.msg793569.html#msg793569 http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
September 7, 20168 yr It's definitely pretty awe-inspiring in person. It's massive. Pictures struggle to give a proper sense of scale mostly because there isn't much to gauge the scale on contextually. I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying it feels like a theme park, but the happy atmosphere is a good thing in my mind. There's no reason to make the entire vicinity of the 9/11 memorial solemn and quiet when there are such amazing spaces for just that within the memorial and museum. The World Trade Center is still very much a functioning part of the city and is first and foremost a center of commerce. I think the balance of spaces for remembering the events and those for moving forward is quite nice personally.
September 7, 20168 yr People now take pictures of events instead of actually witnessing or partaking in them, it's extremely annoying in my opinion. Example: at the Cavs parade instead of actually clapping or cheering as players went by they just took video or pictures.
September 7, 20168 yr What does that have to do with this? Taking a photograph of oneself in a static space isn't the same as missing an event by photographing it or taking a video of it as it happens.
September 7, 20168 yr It's definitely pretty awe-inspiring in person. It's massive. Pictures struggle to give a proper sense of scale mostly because there isn't much to gauge the scale on contextually. I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying it feels like a theme park, but the happy atmosphere is a good thing in my mind. There's no reason to make the entire vicinity of the 9/11 memorial solemn and quiet when there are such amazing spaces for just that within the memorial and museum. The World Trade Center is still very much a functioning part of the city and is first and foremost a center of commerce. I think the balance of spaces for remembering the events and those for moving forward is quite nice personally. I'm not saying there shouldn't be any commerce there, but you already have the expanded (and expanding) World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) full of even more upscale stores and food courts (that's not enough??), catering to the most well-heeled. Did you go into Eataly? Do we really need a place selling 25.4 oz. bottles of olive oil for $38.80? I gladly gave the cashier two twenties and said to keep the change. Of course I didn't buy it!! http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
September 7, 20168 yr Why not though? I'm not seeing a good reason to NOT have those things. The new Eataly is a touch over the top, but so is the World Trade Center in general and it always has been. I'd even argue that the level of "over-the-top"ness is more in par with the ethos of the original complex which gave zero f**ks about the surrounding neighborhood and its context and just plopped itself down and demanded respect. I'd say the current rendition of the World Trade Center, for the most part, is much better integrated and responds to the market conditions which it exists within in a way that fills a need within Lower Manhattan. Some elements might be a bit much, but overall it feels like a part of the city which can be accessed by anyone (even if you don't plan on actually spending money) which is a good thing.
September 7, 20168 yr But at what point do you stop? I have no problem recreating the level of commerce prior to 9/11. I don't know if you remember that, but there was a mall in the underground concourse below the twin towers, with a PATH train hub. At the time of 9/11 they were in the process of upgrading it; relatively modest improvements--like redoing the Gap and putting in more foodie-type restaurants. It all seems so quaint now. But now the area has become a tourist attraction on par with a theme park, which is why I made that analogy. In view of the fact that 2700+ people died on that spot in what was essentially an act of war, the excess attention to conspicuous consumption is highly inappropriate. It's like building a mall on top of Gettysburg. http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
September 7, 20168 yr I definitely get where you're coming from. And can understand people will draw that line in entirely different places depending on their personal feelings associated with the events, what it meant to them, etc. I just think that a mall (however excessive it may be) and a series of renowned architectural moves is pretty in keeping with the trajectory the original complex set up. Maybe the fact it has done so well is more a commentary on our culture post 9/11 and there's a hidden deeper meaning built into the programming of the new World Trade Center that subtly mocks those partaking in the purposefully designed retail element of the complex.
September 7, 20168 yr Author well the old wtc mall catered directly to commuters very, very well. it had tailor shop, shoe repair, dry cleaner, etc., etc., but that was then and this is now. this new one makes more of a slight nod to commuters at best, but it has many more tourists and wealthy new downtown residents to cater to. so i agree it probably should be what it is at the moment. also, remember westfield runs airport malls, so they know what they are doing. it will be interesting to see how it shakes out with these fancy, expensive shops. it reminds me quite a bit of tower city when it first opened. an h&m and a duane reade are yet to come, so at least there will be something useful in there for the regular people.
September 8, 20168 yr My parents were in town this weekend and they wanted to see the World Trade Center and after we went to the Museum we cut through the Oculus and over through the Brookfield Place to get lunch at PJ Clark's on the Hudson. While cutting through my mom went, "Oh Chloe (my niece) wants a souvenir..............never mind these places aren't for us" and we kept walking. Keep in mind my parents are very successful and can afford most of anything they want but the shops at the WTC and Brookfield Place alienated them since everything is generally snobbily high end or at least marketing themselves to be. But I think that's a market that exists en masse in NYC. The growing prevalence of "luxury" items and exclusivity is a market that doesn't really appear to be slowing down anytime soon. So I guess if it funds the upkeep of the new WTC I'm for it even if I really have no intentions of ever buying anything there.
September 8, 20168 yr ^you mean a thousand dollar pair of designer shoes doesn't count as a souvenir? :laugh: I know, the whole place is geared toward wealthy Wall St. yuppies. I keep forgetting, as mrnyc pointed out, how many people have moved into the Financial District (now annoyingly called "FiDi") since 9/11. I remember the days you could go down to that area on weekends and it would be virtually deserted (I miss that. And then the Seaport was developed--early 80's, I think--and more and more people came). But many tourists obviously can't afford those stores, or refuse to pay those prices if they can. I don't think the market for high-ends goods is unlimited though. If it's any indication, a lot of the most expensive apartments are not being filled as quickly as they were just a couple of years ago. They seem to have overbuilt, especially in the trendier parts of Brooklyn. There has to be a saturation point. http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
September 8, 20168 yr ^you mean a thousand dollar pair of designer shoes doesn't count as a souvenir? :laugh: I know, the whole place is geared toward wealthy Wall St. yuppies. I keep forgetting, as mrnyc pointed out, how many people have moved into the Financial District (now annoyingly called "FiDi") since 9/11. I remember the days you could go down to that area on weekends and it would be virtually deserted (I miss that. And then the Seaport was developed--early 80's, I think--and more and more people came). But many tourists obviously can't afford those stores, or refuse to pay those prices if they can. I don't think the market for high-ends goods is unlimited though. If it's any indication, a lot of the most expensive apartments are not being filled as quickly as they were just a couple of years ago. They seem to have overbuilt, especially in the trendier parts of Brooklyn. There has to be a saturation point. I had a friend who got a job teaching woodworking at a private school on the 30th~ floor of a building on Wall St. He was making ridiculous money, like $70k, to build little toy boats and stuff like that with kids, plus he got to say he "worked on Wall St.". Then he threw it all away and moved to Portland.
September 8, 20168 yr I wonder if it was the Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. Remember, there is financial aid available! This is so obnoxious https://www.facebook.com/LemanManhattan/ Tuition covers all day-to-day student expenses including a nutritious lunch and snack program, educational supplies, books and athletic fees. Families are billed separately for overnight trips, after-school programs and summer camp. Tuition Schedule for 2016-17 PreK 3 Program: $30,000 (with an option for extended day at an additional charge) PreK 4 Program: $41,925 K–10: $45,200 High School 11–12: $46,250 http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
November 2, 20168 yr Astor Place cube sculpture "Alamo" resinstalled after a two year absence. Where are all the stickers and graffiti? They ruin everything in NY http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
December 15, 20168 yr Second Ave. subway now scheduled to open on Saturday, Dec 31: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/avenue-subway-line-set-open-new-year-eve-article-1.2911156
December 16, 20168 yr One of the tunnels that the new Q line will use has disappeared and reappeared from the subway maps over the years.
December 16, 20168 yr ^you mean a thousand dollar pair of designer shoes doesn't count as a souvenir? :laugh: I know, the whole place is geared toward wealthy Wall St. yuppies. I keep forgetting, as mrnyc pointed out, how many people have moved into the Financial District (now annoyingly called "FiDi") since 9/11. I remember the days you could go down to that area on weekends and it would be virtually deserted (I miss that. And then the Seaport was developed--early 80's, I think--and more and more people came). But many tourists obviously can't afford those stores, or refuse to pay those prices if they can. I don't think the market for high-ends goods is unlimited though. If it's any indication, a lot of the most expensive apartments are not being filled as quickly as they were just a couple of years ago. They seem to have overbuilt, especially in the trendier parts of Brooklyn. There has to be a saturation point. I had a friend who got a job teaching woodworking at a private school on the 30th~ floor of a building on Wall St. He was making ridiculous money, like $70k, to build little toy boats and stuff like that with kids, plus he got to say he "worked on Wall St.". Then he threw it all away and moved to Portland. I've got business cards from when I was an investment advisor that have my name with a Wall St. address on them. I've never been in the building. I looked at the building once, but it was a Sunday and back in the days when Wall St. was dead on the weekends described above.
December 16, 20168 yr One of the tunnels that the new Q line will use has disappeared and reappeared from the subway maps over the years. I didn't realize the W train was back in service now. Years ago when they ended it, I bought a "W" train mousepad (I still use it, people think it's an M&M though) at the Transit Museum and then rode the very last train to the end of the line in Astoria, where I lived, and it turned into a little bit of a party of sorts.
December 16, 20168 yr I use the Q to get to work from Prospect Park South to Midtown. The W reintroduction means the N is now express in Manhattan. It has been an absolute shitshow since. Express trains run slower than local trains and the backup of the NQ causes the B to also back up in Brooklyn which in turn causes the D to back up in Brooklyn and then suddenly everyone south and west of Prospect Park on two of the busiest lines leaving Brooklyn no longer have a convenient way to get into Manhattan without hearing, "We are being held momentarily because of train traffic ahead" about 10 times in the process.
December 16, 20168 yr One of the tunnels that the new Q line will use has disappeared and reappeared from the subway maps over the years. I didn't realize the W train was back in service now. Years ago when they ended it, I bought a "W" train mousepad (I still use it, people think it's an M&M though) at the Transit Museum and then rode the very last train to the end of the line in Astoria, where I lived, and it turned into a little bit of a party of sorts. Yep, they brought back the W so that the Q could be rerouted to the Second Avenue Subway.
December 16, 20168 yr I rode the F to Roosevelt Island back in 2000 when the line terminated at the first stop in Queens. There was like *nobody* on that train in the middle of the day. I think the Queens connection didn't enter service until around 2003. Maybe I'll ride it on my next visit at rush hour just to see how it has changed. It's pretty amazing how smart all of the planners were back in the 60s...they assumed all that stuff that they planned in the 60s that was under construction in the 70s would be in operation by 1985 at the latest. The city's collapse in the 70s was dramatic, but Reagan is the figure responsible for not renewing UMTA 1970 and funding the timely completion of all that stuff. Compare the construction of the full Second Ave. line with express tracks to even one month of the Iraq adventure....
December 16, 20168 yr I rode the F to Roosevelt Island back in 2000 when the line terminated at the first stop in Queens. There was like *nobody* on that train in the middle of the day. I think the Queens connection didn't enter service until around 2003. Maybe I'll ride it on my next visit at rush hour just to see how it has changed. It's pretty amazing how smart all of the planners were back in the 60s...they assumed all that stuff that they planned in the 60s that was under construction in the 70s would be in operation by 1985 at the latest. The city's collapse in the 70s was dramatic, but Reagan is the figure responsible for not renewing UMTA 1970 and funding the timely completion of all that stuff. Compare the construction of the full Second Ave. line with express tracks to even one month of the Iraq adventure.... The F is busy at rush hour. It's one of the fastest ways to get to some seriously dense neighborhoods in Queens. I'm looking at buying a co-op in Jackson Heights and most of the available options in my price range will put me on the F to and from work. The few times I tested that ride out it was packed but quick.
December 16, 20168 yr It would be interesting to know how all of the staging works for peak periods on these lines. I have read that they are using the old 1970s tunnel as a staging area for phase 1 but that phase 2 will require a pretty elaborate staging area to be built under 125th St. I'm not sure how many trains it's going to store but storage for just one of these trains is a pretty big project. The Hudson Yard is of course where the LIRR trains hang out all day awaiting their trip home. What do the subway drivers do in NYC? Get out after they park a train on a storage spur and walk to the closest station and then take the next train to a break room?
December 16, 20168 yr ^I read a story about someone who was on a train that just randomly stopped in between stations, let two ladies off the front car into the darkness, then kept going. They then went searching and found out eventually that a staff area or something along those lines was in between stations and the ladies had to get back to that spot even though it's sort of creepy and weird for it to just be randomly in the tunnel between any other signs of life / light. I'd imagine there are exits for them if there isn't an easy way to a station or something else. I can't imagine they'd just dump them into a tunnel requiring them to walk to a station. That would have "OSHA violation" written all over it. Also this. http://untappedcities.com/2015/12/16/7-nyc-tunnels-where-subway-trains-go-to-sleep/ They park a train on my route at night on an unused local track (all trains stop on the express side of the station regardless of whether an express or local train then switch after the station to the correct track). I don't know what train it is that's being parked there since it's always off and dark when I go by but it's usually there around midnight and after. I think it might be a B train since it appears it stays there all weekend as well when the B doesn't run.
December 16, 20168 yr The way the Cincinnati Streetcar's office is right next to revenue tracks is really convenient. The drivers are able to hop in and out of the trains easily for a crew change or bathroom break. The car barn for the Seattle SLUT is 2-3 blocks away from revenue tracks so I imagine in the 9 years that thing has been running that a few drivers have had to pee in a bucket or something.
December 25, 20168 yr I use the Q to get to work from Prospect Park South to Midtown. The W reintroduction means the N is now express in Manhattan. It has been an absolute shitshow since. Express trains run slower than local trains and the backup of the NQ causes the B to also back up in Brooklyn which in turn causes the D to back up in Brooklyn and then suddenly everyone south and west of Prospect Park on two of the busiest lines leaving Brooklyn no longer have a convenient way to get into Manhattan without hearing, "We are being held momentarily because of train traffic ahead" about 10 times in the process. Not only is the B backed up in Brooklyn it also affects CPW.
December 25, 20168 yr It would be interesting to know how all of the staging works for peak periods on these lines. I have read that they are using the old 1970s tunnel as a staging area for phase 1 but that phase 2 will require a pretty elaborate staging area to be built under 125th St. I'm not sure how many trains it's going to store but storage for just one of these trains is a pretty big project. The Hudson Yard is of course where the LIRR trains hang out all day awaiting their trip home. What do the subway drivers do in NYC? Get out after they park a train on a storage spur and walk to the closest station and then take the next train to a break room? The subway and commutter rail yards are vastly different. NYC transit can build underground yards like they have at 137 street and 148 or East NY yards. IIRC, Hudson Yards has been severly limited and NJT, AMTRAK & LIRR trains idle in Sunnyside. I was invited to the tour of the 96 street station last week but couldn't go. I see if I can get some pictures.
December 26, 20168 yr I use the Q to get to work from Prospect Park South to Midtown. The W reintroduction means the N is now express in Manhattan. It has been an absolute shitshow since. Express trains run slower than local trains and the backup of the NQ causes the B to also back up in Brooklyn which in turn causes the D to back up in Brooklyn and then suddenly everyone south and west of Prospect Park on two of the busiest lines leaving Brooklyn no longer have a convenient way to get into Manhattan without hearing, "We are being held momentarily because of train traffic ahead" about 10 times in the process. Not only is the B backed up in Brooklyn it also affects CPW. I can imagine. I haven't been to the UWS in awhile on a weekday so I haven't used the B up there since the changes. Apparently people in Astoria are having tons of trouble with the N and W not really being anywhere as consistent as the N and Q were before the changes either. I've only been to Astoria twice since then (both times to / from Laguardia) and didn't have any problems, but that was also on Saturday morning both times when there were less trains running meaning less opportunities for delays. I'm still also amazed that even after a month and a half they still haven't started showing the W on the list of transfers inside trains nor do they mention it in the announcements. I've had to help quite a few very lost / confused out of towners who didn't know where they were supposed to be going. On my way to Laguardia Saturday I noticed the new maps are in place showing the Second Avenue stops. I am excited to see how those stations turned out. It will be nice to be able to get a little closer to the river on a train for the handful of situations I'm trying to get over to that general vicinity.
December 29, 20168 yr As good as NYC is with preservation I still don't understand why Time Square had to be replace these old gems with this new modern crap.. Does anyone know the history behind this? What was the reasoning for demolishing the original buildings?
December 29, 20168 yr ^ A lot of those buildings are still back there behind the signs. An interesting tidbit about Times Square is that there's a zoning code special district in midtown Manhattan, and the part applicable to Times Square actually requires new construction to have a certain large percentage of the facade covered in giant neon signs.
December 29, 20168 yr As good as NYC is with preservation I still don't understand why Time Square had to be replace these old gems with this new modern crap.. Does anyone know the history behind this? What was the reasoning for demolishing the original buildings? Because it's a city, not a museum? There's a huge difference between preservation and stagnation. You can find buildings like those pictured thousands of times over in the immediate vicinity. It's an extremely vibrant intersection with tons of demand for space. It's going to constantly go through changes. But one only needs to walk a couple blocks away to find buildings like those pictured all over the place. And as stated above, some of those buildings are still there, either covered by billboards or still as shown in the picture. Expecting any area of NYC to stay the same, let alone Times Square or the rest of Midtown, is a touch naive. It's not going to happen.
December 29, 20168 yr I consider myself blessed to have experienced Times Square before it was destroyed by Disney. It was completely organic and mysterious and completely its own thing, the most intense node of a city that was all those things as well. Times Square was a bit of a rude counterpoint in a city that was the counterpoint to the rest of the country, paradoxically its largest and most anomalous. Since then Times Square like the city itself has been flattened into a crusty paste. The crackle of excitement isn't there anymore. The city is economically richer but culturally poorer.
December 29, 20168 yr ^ I think closing Times Square to vehicular traffic is the perfect manifestation of the cultural shift you're describing. It doesn't even look like a real city now, it looks exactly like an amusement park, which is pretty much what it has become. Times Square is slowly starting to look like New York New York in Vegas. I won't be surprised if someone proposes a roller coaster at some point in our lifetimes.
December 29, 20168 yr Right, most of the Time Square historic buildings are still there, but have been covered up by giant billboards and tacky facades for the retail stores that occupy those buildings. Why? Because those billboards are some of the most expensive advertising space on the planet. And those retail spaces are some of the most expensive real estate on the planet. New York is a totally unique case though, where massive historic buildings are demolished to make space for even more massive modern buildings. Here's a good example that I shared in another thread.
December 29, 20168 yr As good as NYC is with preservation I still don't understand why Time Square had to be replace these old gems with this new modern crap.. Does anyone know the history behind this? What was the reasoning for demolishing the original buildings? Because it's a city, not a museum? There's a huge difference between preservation and stagnation. You can find buildings like those pictured thousands of times over in the immediate vicinity. It's an extremely vibrant intersection with tons of demand for space. It's going to constantly go through changes. But one only needs to walk a couple blocks away to find buildings like those pictured all over the place. And as stated above, some of those buildings are still there, either covered by billboards or still as shown in the picture. Expecting any area of NYC to stay the same, let alone Times Square or the rest of Midtown, is a touch naive. It's not going to happen. So does that make most European Cities who have preserved most of their original architecture simply museums and not real cities?
December 30, 20168 yr European cities and American cities have different development patterns, different work space needs, different workplace culture, different living standards, etc.. They're not apples to apples comparisons.
December 30, 20168 yr Author i understand the old the ny times building in the middle of that photo is almost entirely intact underneath the modern and not so modern signage dross.
December 30, 20168 yr As good as NYC is with preservation I still don't understand why Time Square had to be replace these old gems with this new modern crap.. Does anyone know the history behind this? What was the reasoning for demolishing the original buildings? Have you ever actually been to NY? NY does a very good job at keeping its older buildings. A walk around almost any NY neighborhood will show you that. I lived at E 3rd St and 2nd Ave for a couple years in a building that I wish had been newer.
January 2, 20178 yr Second Ave is open: One video I watched showed a super-zoom from one platform to the next...so this is one of those spots on the subway system where you can lean your head over the edge of the platform and see the next station way in the distance. The stations are also pretty close with only about 1,800~ feet from the end of one platform to the beginning of the next, so the trains only reach their cruising speed for two and at most three lengths of the actual train. In other interesting news, there is a service walk along all of the new tunneling that is level with the train doors, so in the case of an emergency, the passengers on the train can simply walk out of the train and not have to climb down. The gap looks like it's about 6" so not as snug as a station platform but definitely not a challenge for most passengers.
January 4, 20178 yr Now that it's here I've been doing some reading and although there is only minimal funding set aside for expansion of the new Second Ave. line to Harlem (not enough to break ground), apparently there has been a fair amount of engineering work and tentatively they are planning the following features for Phase 2: -as is widely known the line will extend northward then turn west under 125th to a station perpendicular to the existing Metro North and 4,5,6 stations. -a storage track will extend for several blocks east of that point, replacing the new storage track north of the 96th St. station (which is actually 1970s construction), which will become revenue track. -125th St. storage track will be built so as to become revenue track for extension of line west as far as Broadway -turnout stub and possibly provisions for a flying junction will be built at the Second Ave.-125th curve for extension of the Second Ave. line north to The Bronx So there will be a setup for the Second Ave. line to branch east to Broadway beneath 125th AND for it to connect to presumably the Grand Concourse subway (which is the only IND division line in The Bronx). So in theory the Harlem branch could be the Q and the Bronx branch could be the T and we could live happily ever after. BUT I am reading that the capacity of the new line is insufficient to allow the mixing of peak-hour Q trains AND a peak-hour T from The Bronx because it is only a 2-track line. So they're pretty much going to have to do one or the other without some profound change to the plan. I don't claim that this information is accurate or that I completely understand the rationale. In yet other speculation, although the Grand Concourse subway is the only IND line in The Bronx, the MTA apparently has hinted that they want to have the Q or T take over the 5 train's elevated line out to Co-Op City. No word on what would happen to the 5 but obviously those trains could be split between the 4 and 6 branches to provide greater frequency. Again, I don't have all of the information.
January 7, 20178 yr Author we went out last night to some crazy hopping korean joint to celebrate my spouse's work anniversary and its a blizzard tonight, so here ya go: starting on the hudson river waterfront -- here are a bunch of random nyc developments -- 1/7/17 pier 57 - aka the superpier project - it’s to be google office space + a chef tony bourdain food hall http://ny.curbed.com/super-pier this is pier 55 -- barry diller & diane von furstenburg’s silly but fun mega pier project -- note it was the pier where the titanic was supposed to dock. http://ny.curbed.com/pier-55 older gansevoort peninsula a dept of sanitation site, to be a city park -- interestingly, it has the last remnant of 13th ave in manhattan. http://ny.curbed.com/2015/4/15/9970626/the-life-and-death-of-new-yorks-shortest-avenue https://www.hudsonriverpark.org/explore-the-park/locations/gansevoort-peninsula a meatpacking warehouse redevelopment -- 412w15th st http://newyorkyimby.com/2016/11/18-story-office-building-rises-at-412-west-15th-street-in-meatpacking-district.html more meatpacking -- 860 wash st http://rew-online.com/2016/06/10/860-washington-property-group-romanoff/ this is the former pastis restaurant block bldg - to a restoration hardware store/hotel http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/18/12212366/restoration-hardware-meatpacking-store-problems and lastly for this area -- a long mothballed meatpacking warehouse at w14st/10th ave is finally going away for the innovative jeanne gang solar carve tower http://ny.curbed.com/2015/11/9/9902580/whimsical-solar-carve-gets-okay-to-rise-along-the-high-line http://studiogang.com/project/solar-carve-tower -- i’ll leave the rest of the highline related stuff for that thread this one is d’orsay, a richy rich infill apt bldg at 211w14st/7th av http://ny.curbed.com/2016/3/4/11163974/dorsay-condo-jacques-garcia midtown -- recent pics i took of 53w53 aka the moma tower aka tower verre http://ny.curbed.com/building/3298/53-west-53rd-street stern has another classy tower going up 220cps near columbus circle http://ny.curbed.com/building/53/220-central-park-south opening day for the new food court in cols circle station next to the stern 220cps tower is 225w57st tower aka the nordstrom dept store tower -- seems slowed, but picking back up now? it’s to be the new tallest residential bldg. http://ny.curbed.com/building/53/220-central-park-south chelsea infill a new apt tower sticks out in madison sq -- 45e22st http://ny.curbed.com/2016/5/9/11639194/flatiron-tallest-tower-construction-photos-continuum-company downtown - 111 murray st tower http://ny.curbed.com/building/3308/111-murray-street east village -- the marz bar punk club used to be here all around downtown brooklyn is a-boomin away williamsburg william vale hotel is finally built out now and open http://www.thewilliamvale.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel/2016/11/28/a-hotel-grows-in-brooklyn-the-hot-new-william-vale-in-williamsburg/#24aa0c3e4c55 hipsters - heh i forget this one, i think it’s on tillary st -- 156 tillary st hampton hotel maybe? but anyway - http://newyorkyimby.com/2016/08/facade-installation-nears-completion-for-new-hotel-at-156-tillary-street-downtown-brooklyn.html crazy/slick twin ‘american copper’ apt bldgs on the east side -- w/skybridge http://ny.curbed.com/building/3333/626-first-avenue east side -- i dk old office bldgs going down for one vanderbilt next to grand central -- it looked pretty goth! http://ny.curbed.com/building/32/one-vanderbilt more to come in east midtown as the rezoning plan moves along -- https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161005/midtown/east-midtown-rezoning-development-rights-skyscrapers 111w57 is a very complicated site, but moving along well -- it should start popping up soon it will be a skinny 1428ft/82 stories -- it’s about 10 stories now http://ny.curbed.com/building/3425/111-west-57th-street this is the former midtown roseland ballroom apt tower - it’s a complicated site too http://ny.curbed.com/2016/11/30/13793678/roseland-ballroom-midtown-cetraruddy-construction-update the verizon long lines bldg downtown is getting a rehab for offices - still hideous tho http://ny.curbed.com/2016/8/1/12346072/former-verizon-building-gets-makeover also downtown, the howard hughes corp seaport pier + brooklyn bridge waterfront park & apts across the way are coming along http://newyorkyimby.com/2016/07/facade-installation-continues-at-south-street-seaports-pier-17.html http://ny.curbed.com/brooklyn-bridge-park lots of action and speculation around the seaport these days http://www.downtownexpress.com/2016/03/24/supertall-after-all-chinese-developer-cleared-to-build-nearly-1500-foot-tower-at-south-street-seaport/ uptown - columbia is making a new neighborhood out of far w125st i think the ingels 625 w57st pyramid apts are completed and it’s open by now http://ny.curbed.com/building/279/625-west-57th-street same for this beautifully classic stern tower at 99 church st downtown http://ny.curbed.com/building/1/99-church-street gwb bus station over the cross bronx highway in wash hts is slowly getting a major rehab http://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/george-washington-bridge-bus-station-restoration.html we are getting a new pedestrian park square and traffic calming in the busy bronx hub neighborhood at 149st/3rd ave + a massive housing project nearby is in the works. http://www.garrisonarchitects.com/projects/buildings/roberto_clemente_plaza https://archpaper.com/2016/09/south-bronx-la-central-approved/#gallery-0-slide-0 here is a beautiful copper ceiling redo in jamaica, queens the mixed arverne development in the rockaways -- from this summer http://arvernebythesea.com and last for now -- the staten island ferris wheel is well on the way -- a reason to visit s.i.! :laugh: http://ny.curbed.com/staten-island-observation-wheel http://newyorkwheel.com *** i hope you enjoyed a random update and look around at nyc developments 8-) ***
January 7, 20178 yr Author i forgot i had these panos i took a couple months ago -- its recent views of the now well cleared out one vanderbilt site next to grand central -- of course the open views will be going away soon -- !
January 7, 20178 yr Author -125th St. storage track will be built so as to become revenue track for extension of line west as far as Broadway there is no plan for this, but obviously it will happen someday as a crosstown train on 125st is very much needed. its likely phase three of 2nd ave -- downtown to e14st -- happens before this, but who knows? -turnout stub and possibly provisions for a flying junction will be built at the Second Ave.-125th curve for extension of the Second Ave. line north to The Bronx yes that is for storage. there is no plan for any extension to the bronx anytime soon. So there will be a setup for the Second Ave. line to branch east to Broadway beneath 125th AND for it to connect to presumably the Grand Concourse subway (which is the only IND division line in The Bronx). So in theory the Harlem branch could be the Q and the Bronx branch could be the T and we could live happily ever after. BUT I am reading that the capacity of the new line is insufficient to allow the mixing of peak-hour Q trains AND a peak-hour T from The Bronx because it is only a 2-track line. So they're pretty much going to have to do one or the other without some profound change to the plan. I don't claim that this information is accurate or that I completely understand the rationale. In yet other speculation, although the Grand Concourse subway is the only IND line in The Bronx, the MTA apparently has hinted that they want to have the Q or T take over the 5 train's elevated line out to Co-Op City. No word on what would happen to the 5 but obviously those trains could be split between the 4 and 6 branches to provide greater frequency. Again, I don't have all of the information. the second avenue Q train (eventually the T train), will terminate at 125st and that is that. the 5 train is nowhere near co-op city in the bronx. the 6 train is closer. both are far from there though. i have actually walked to both trains a few times from near co-op when i had a work site nearby for a couple years and its quite a hike (but lots of fun stuff along the way with stuff like fantastic jamaican restaurants and grocery stores, the gun hill brewery, etc.). if the 2nd ave train were ever to be extended to the bronx it would run east of the 5&6 trains to co-op city. that will never happen in anyone's lifetime. however, all hope is far from lost for expanded bronx rail service. gov cuomo is really pushing for expanded mnrr stations and service in the bronx. this would improve eastern intra-bronx travel if and when it happens. its funded and its supposed to go as soon as the east side access project is completed. we'll see -- here's a news blurb about it from 4/1/15: Plans to expand Metro-North Railroad service in the Bronx could be a plus for riders and businesses in two states. "Most of our Bronx customers are using the Metro-North to go to Connecticut or go to the Hudson Valley to get to jobs up there," Metro-North spokesman Aaron Donovan said Thursday. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved $250 million in funding for four new Metro-North stations in the Bronx, including Parkchester and Co-op City, as part of New York's 2015-16 state budget. The project would provide more access to Connecticut cities and to the Bronx's cluster of medical facilities in Morris Park and the sprawling Hunts Point food terminals. The new Bronx stations are part of the multi-billion-dollar plan to bring Metro-North service into New York City's Penn Station. Federal funds are expected to make up much of the rest of the $988 million cost for the new stations. The Bronx expansion is set to begin after a $10 billion East Side Access project bringing Long Island Rail Road service into Grand Central Terminal is completed. .
January 8, 20178 yr Thank you for that massive update! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 8, 20178 yr Author ha ha u r welcome - its stuff i had lying around and had put up on ssp or wired or wherever --
January 8, 20178 yr Author ^I read a story about someone who was on a train that just randomly stopped in between stations, let two ladies off the front car into the darkness, then kept going. They then went searching and found out eventually that a staff area or something along those lines was in between stations and the ladies had to get back to that spot even though it's sort of creepy and weird for it to just be randomly in the tunnel between any other signs of life / light. I'd imagine there are exits for them if there isn't an easy way to a station or something else. I can't imagine they'd just dump them into a tunnel requiring them to walk to a station. That would have "OSHA violation" written all over it. a few years ago i went up early to the macys thanksgiving parade. i got out at the start of the parade at the museum of natural history, the 81st stop. we all go up the stairs and...the gates are closed and locked. you immediately think oh man this is kind of scary. luckily there were a couple cops, so they called it in, but after a weird bit of time and before anyone came another train came in. the cops talked to the conductor who came out of the train and opened the gates. i guess no one told the subway crews they were supposed to skip that stop during the parade.
January 8, 20178 yr Author It would be interesting to know how all of the staging works for peak periods on these lines. I have read that they are using the old 1970s tunnel as a staging area for phase 1 but that phase 2 will require a pretty elaborate staging area to be built under 125th St. I'm not sure how many trains it's going to store but storage for just one of these trains is a pretty big project. The Hudson Yard is of course where the LIRR trains hang out all day awaiting their trip home. What do the subway drivers do in NYC? Get out after they park a train on a storage spur and walk to the closest station and then take the next train to a break room? the crews have to 'walk the train' after every run. meaning walk through and make sure no one is still left in there. that puts them at the back car of every train, nearest to the station offices and office bathrooms. no doubt they pee on the tracks sometimes too, but im sure they have it down where the close bathrooms are. the subway crews will just halt the train in a station to pee, get coffee, jibber jab. of course they arent supposed to, but i see them do it all the time. the crew behavior is as much a part of delays as is passenger behavior, but you will never hear the mta admit that.
January 8, 20178 yr i forgot i had these panos i took a couple months ago -- its recent views of the now well cleared out one vanderbilt site next to grand central -- of course the open views will be going away soon -- What's this building? It's a classic example of one that would be a big deal in any other city including Chicago or LA, but not in NYC.
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