Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Hey! You're Blocking my View!


We went to Manhattan for a visit with our financial advisor, which we do about once a year.  The company has a number of floors in a modern office building.  We were on the 40th floor, and the view of Central Park looking north is always spectacular!  Every time we go there, I take the same picture out the window because it is so beautiful!  But THIS year I was stunned!  A brand new building under construction cuts right through the view of Central Park.  I couldn't believe it!  Can they do this - build a new building that cuts off the view for an existing building?  The building we were in is a building that has been there since I have been in New York!


Well, I guess the answer is that they can, in fact do this.  But what a shock!  And this is only the half of it.  Look how high the building is altogether!  What keeps this from blowing over in a strong wind?  It is called the Central Park Tower, and when finished, it will be the tallest residential building in New York City.


Is this crazy?  Would you want to have an apartment in this building and stay in it during a hurricane?  I don't know, but maybe it would be fun to feel the building sway back and forth.  I am not afraid of heights, but this just seems crazy.  Oh, and it is probably expensive as well!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The third photo really shows the perspective of how tall it is compared to surrounding buildings. Yikes! It would only cost you a few million to live there.
Joan

ken schwarz said...

This building nuts, unnecessary, an affront to sensibilities and maybe a disaster waiting to happen! The architect has surely pushed some boundry's all in the name of bragging rights. On the other hand, with climate change and raising sea levels, it will be nice for the uber rich to live in a building with upper floors that won't flood!

Anonymous said...

This is the height (no pun intended!) of man's ego run amok! Just go ahead and ruin things for all time...and everyone else be damned! That's why we like animals more than we like most people! Babs and Will

Anonymous said...

This is sad, and ugly. Not your photo, but the whole idea that you can put of something so out-of-scale to the rest of the area is a testament to just how much we lose when others have so much money that they can do whatever they want.

Anonymous said...

Incredible how much taller the building looks than the rest-and definitely for show. Looking at all the buildings in this city picture makes me wonder how people can stand to live in the city. I would be crazy for space and quiet. Trace

Ken Spencer said...

Thank you all for your comments. You help firm up in my mind why this is such a travesty. Thanks.

John Speroni said...

Re. ruined views: every tall building in Manhattan changed someone else's window view when it went up. Similar complaints were likely levied against the Empire State Building and Chrysler. The first 3-story apartment blocked the sun for neighbors in an adjacent 2-story. (the new building might be ugly, but that's beside the point)