While You Have Been Away: New York City is Rebuilding for the Next Century…
(Disclosure: I am a biased New York City diehard and this is my first post on Medium)
While some New York City residents and basically all tourists have been away since last March….there are some really exciting developments in New York City that are going to make the city an even better place to return to and live over the next 50 Years!!!
The New LaGuardia Airport
First, the new LaGuardia Airport is spectacular and will be completed soon. Beautiful, modern, and functional. I have traveled a few times since March and at least two trips have been in and out of LaGuardia…its nicer than any other airport I have been to in the United States.
https://untappedcities.com/2020/06/11/photos-inside-the-new-terminal-b-at-laguardia-airport/
Moynihan Train Station
The Moynihan Train Station is an amazing space that now serves as the home for Amtrak and LIRR (as well as the post office). It's a game-changer! (I have always loved the Post Office Building’s saying on the outside: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”). I visited the station last weekend just for fun and as part of a couple of recent long walks around the city….The huge ceiling in the main hall, the simple and modern signage, the light!
Little Island (Coming This Spring)
In just a few months, we are going to have a new “little island” designed by the one and only Thomas Heatherwick in the Hudson River Park. This park will have a playground, a 700-seat amphitheater, and a hidden garden/stage among other features:
It will be great for the ecology of New York City: “as it introduces 100 species of trees and other flora to its 2.4-acre site.”
Resident artists have already been announced for the Spring: Ayodele Casel, Tina Landeau, Michael McElroy, and PigPen Theatre Co., performing, directing, and/or curating events:
Four New Projects Announced
The New Port Authority Bus Terminal (Completed in 2031)
A $10 billion overhaul of the Port Authority Bus Terminal has been announced. It will increase capacity by 40% and accommodate electric buses. (I will admit I like to fly…but I have some family members who might prefer the bus)…Obviously, this means the most for the commuters who use it daily but it might also change the behaviors of some people who have abandoned or never considered bus travel.
A Beach Off the West Side
This is the project that I just saw this morning that inspired me to sign up for Medium and write this post (I have been wanting to do this for a while but this project tipped the scale). New plans are underway to create the first-ever beach in the Hudson River. This is a $70 million plan. Again, this project isn’t a 100% a go but it looks awesome and another huge vision from the leaders of the Hudson River Park Trust:
Central Park Rink Under New Management
Granted this one doesn't count as a new development but for many of us, this one really hits a note…the Trump name is off our beloved Wollman Rink and we can all skate easier knowing we are not doing business with my least favorite FORMER New Yorker.
This is cool news as will have a new organization running the rink in winter and summer and one can only hope they understand the importance of the simple pleasure of ice skating in a complicated, modern world. There were a good 3 winters where I spent 3–4 hours every Saturday and Sunday at Wollman Rink…I loved it. I always said it felt like being in the Rocky Mountains (one of the most beautiful places in the world).
(Another) High Line Extension
The Governor has announced an extension of the High Line to the Moynihan Train Station. This will only take 366 meters of work (can someone give that to me in feet!) but now you will be able to arrive by train and directly enter the High Line….a reminder that in New York great projects and ideas can keep giving. (My wife and I were proud to host the first-ever fundraiser for the High Line back in 2001..introduced by my good friend Bronson van Wyck to Robbie Hammond…)
THANK YOUs
So I am not digging into all the details and thank yous that are deserved here but let me just add a few…
First, a huge thank you to the construction workers who have put in so much hard work to make these projects realities…especially to those who worked through the past year and risked their lives to keep these projects going.
Second, politicians and public servants. Governor Cuomo, Mayor DeBlasio, administration officials, Madelyn Wils of the Hudson River Park Trust.
Third, All the people that work day in day out to actually make these buildings and structures work…Building get the attention but the day to day work is what ultimately makes a train station or public park successful. One of my favorite children’s books is “Next Stop Grand Central” by Maira Kalman. It takes you through a fictional day in the life of Grand Central and introduces you to the people who make it run… “Chief of Police George Coppola finds lost people, and Mr. Chidchester, head of the Lost and Found, finds lost dogs.”
Ask my kids and they will tell you my favorite character is “Mrs. Pffafenburger” who loses her dog Mitzi on the way from Darien to Greenwich but Mitzi is thankfully saved by Mr. Chidester…
This will be the best $8.99 you spend: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Grand-Central-Maira-Kalman/dp/069811888X
Fourth, philanthropic New Yorkers. Little Island was made possible by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg. Diller fought for years to get approvals for Little Island and had to endure a lot of criticism along the way…he recently gave a kind quote: “Good stuff’s tough to do…And maybe it should be.” He is right that public involvement and deliberative process make sure projects are inclusive and good for the neighborhood but we have to be grateful to people who fight for progress and change to benefit our city for generations to come.
