Stumbled across this really interesting construction site in the East Village. Looks like the corner site was a low-rise tenement-style building but I’m curious as to what happened with the church.
My guess (hope) is that they’re keeping the church’s facade to incorporate into whatever is coming next, probably some luxury housing.
I’ve been following the saga of the Farley Building redevelopment ever since I was an urban planning grad student in the late 90s and it’s a real thrill to finally see it in person. Frankly, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen in my lifetime.
Replacing Penn Station with Farley was a dream that had a perfectly poetic arc: Penn Station died so that Grand Central Terminal could be saved, then was reincarnated decades later in Farley, the adjacent McKim, Mead, and White palace that was spared Penn’s fate. All credit to Senator Moynihan, the project’s longtime sponsor and advocate.
No, the Moynihan Train Hall isn’t quite the full-on transformation of Penn Station that many urbanists had hoped for, But it’s a very good first step towards the goal of truly modernizing the infrastructure and operations at Penn.
Love seeing stairs from the platform that open into this huge space. It’s very OG Penn Station.
The location west of Eighth Avenue feels a bit lopsided today, but it points to the future of the Midtown CBD: westward expansion to Hudson Yards. In a decade or two, it’ll feel more central as the inevitable development happens around it.
I visited the site in 2017 before construction started but haven’t been back since. I only had 30 minutes today to check it out and was very pleasantly surprised at what I saw.
This is a nice clock and surprisingly subtle.I really like these benches, which are a nod to the past without feeling overly retro. I just wish there were in the hall itself, not just the restricted waiting areas.A nice transition to the West End Concourse and Eighth Avenue. I hope it ages well.I think this is good v1 digital signage, but I’m hoping the designers will push further in later iterations. These are big, bright screens with lots of potential.It’s easy to miss the mid-block arcade unless you’re headed to points west of the station but I’m glad the space doesn’t feel like an afterthought.The 32 Street mid-block entrance is very nice. I love the artwork.
I’m looking to coming back and exploring more soon.
So this week I felt especially lucky to visit the building twice, getting to see both the space-age Bloomberg LP offices and Le Cirque Cafe. Unsurprisingly, the building is even nicer on the inside.
Growing up, I always wanted a really nice globe but the only one we could afford was a cheap metal version that had a big raised seam at the equator. The seam was so big it looked like the Earth had a Saturn-like ring.
I was a little embarrassed that our globe was not as nice as the ones some of my friends owned, and certainly not as nice as the ones in school.
It’s hard to describe how much better Columbus Circle is today compared to just about any time in living memory. It’s actually a place you’d want to visit and even linger instead of just pass through as quickly as possible.
Grand Central Terminal is beautiful from every angle, even the ones you didn’t know existed. You can catch this view for free from the Apple Store.
I feel really lucky that I get to walk through GCT on my way to work each day. The beauty and bustle of the place lifts me up on even the toughest of days. The endless supply of good things to eat there doesn’t hurt either.
It’s very sobering to pass by St. Vincent’s during its demolition. You can’t help but think about all the human experiences that must have taken place there. They’re ghosts now, and the building is following them.
I don’t know nearly enough about the situation to say whether it’s good or bad that St. Vincent’s Hospital is being replaced with (very pricey) housing. But I can say I have a definite emotional reaction every time I pass by this site.
My parting shot from the unfinished phase 2, looking north from near 23 Street. Looking forward to taking the “after” version of this photo when this section of the line opens next year.
Looking south down what I think is Phase 2 of the project, opening next year. Too bad the surface isn’t smooth enough for a killer bike/skate park before the green stuff and benches come in.
This is from the south side of the rail yards, looking east.That pointy building in the distance looks kind of familiar. The building on the right is one of those filing cabinets for widows and young professionals that Manhattan is especially good at manufacturing lately.
Bloomberg Tower has a really cool mid-block space, but it’s too bad there’s not more to entice the public to come in. Hard to believe that beneath this uber-urban block development lies a (rather nice) Home Depot.
(Bloomberg Tower, 58 St & Lexington Av, Manhattan)
The world’s best performing arts school just got even swankier with a dramatic new stair and waiting area on 65 Street. Check it out with your own butt and feel the artistry.
The East New York Station on the LIRR Atlantic Branch is one of those places. The station itself lies underneath the Atlantic Avenue viaduct and even in broad daylight looks like mole person territory.
But the forlorn platforms are nothing compared to the crypt-like pedestrian underpass that connects them. On a recent ride around Brooklyn, I used the underpass to get across Atlantic Avenue. It was deserted and and full of blind corners, and frankly, I was scared shitless and wondering what I was doing in that maze with a Bike Friday, an iPhone, and no weapons of any kind (except my razor wit, of course).
As it turns out, the Chinese geek with the funny bike was the scariest — and only — thing in that tunnel while I was down there. Other than my imagination. I memorialized the moment with my iPhone and got the heck out of there.
A theatre created by folks that love movies and food? Alamo Drafthouse, where have you been all my life? You make me want to cheat big time on my beloved Gotham.
(Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, South Lamar, Austin, TX)
I’m a Times addict. I look at the site at least a dozen times on an average day, a figure that’s only gotten larger now that I’ve gone iPhone. Their new headquarters looks awesome, and I hope someday to go inside and check it out.