Friday, March 15, 2024

Pencil Towers


We went to the city today to a museum.  Afterwards we walked down 9th Avenue to a diner for lunch.  When we were done we walked east on 58th street one block to the subway.  It was then that I saw one of the "Pencil Towers" - one of the newest types of buildings that have been built in Manhattan.  They are so tall and so thin they stand out dramatically, and be seen from a long distance away.  They are tall as in 1,400 feet tall!  So I took this photograph and continued walking  east, and was amazed to see another pencil tower on the other side of the street!


There was a story in the NY Times about how some of these types of buildings have some issues. This is the headline and sub head for that story: "The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks."  "432 Park, one of the wealthiest addresses in the world, faces some significant design problems, and other luxury high-rises may share its fate."  One of the issues is how the buildings can sway in really strong winds.  Yikes, do you want your bedroom or living room moving around in a hurricane?  No thank you.  The story continues: "The tower at 432 Park Avenue became the tallest residential building in the world in 2015. It has already been surpassed by a newcomer on New York’s Billionaire’s Row in Midtown Manhattan, but it remains one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the world.

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that you can hop on a train and visit the City and wonder around these tall buildings, then return home to a wonderful neighborhood and so close to the water. I am not one to want to live in these super tall buildings swaying in the breeze.
Joan

Anonymous said...

In these days of extreme weather storms, I wouldn’t want to take a chance living in a “pencil” building. No, thank you. Betsey