Old and New Buildings Make Up the NYC Skyline By Jorbasa
When was the last time you questioned the history of the buildings in your nabe? Many of the structures in our cities have been reinvented a hundred times over becoming what we see today. Old buildings are often juxtaposed with new ones, giving us a comparison of the past and the present. In downtown New York every street can tell a thousand stories. The layering of architectural changes to New York City’s skyline is what makes it so unique.
Wall Street, the financial epicenter of the country, was once the spot of an actual wall built to defend Dutch settlers. The wall stretched across lower Manhattan for a third of a mile, ending at Trinity Church. Today that same third of a mile bears the name Wall Street, marking its place in history.
Further north, the elevated High Line Park, now an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle, once served as train tracks, transporting meat and other raw goods right into processing factories (hence the metal eyebrow structures that protrude from the face of old meat packing plants). The slaughterhouses and packing plants that once dominated this district are gone, but the remaining warehouse spaces have become art galleries and residences.
By RobInh00d
In Mid-town, Fifth Avenue is famous for being New York’s most luxurious shopping district. Early city planning made certain that the most desirable avenues would be in the middle of the island, while those less fortunate would be pushed to the outer, industrial avenues along the waterfront. Today New Yorker’s are reclaiming their shoreline, but Fifth Avenue’s reputation as a symbol of NYC’s wealth remains unchanged.
Decades may have gone by, but the architectural elements in this city reveal its past lives through names, architecture and reputations. Communities are shaped not only by current circumstances, but also by all that came before. Next time you’re out in your nabe have a look around and see if you can pinpoint what defines your sense of place. –Jennifer Gregoire
Changing Scenes: A Gentrifying South Bronx
New Eltona apartment building by interloafer
“SoBro” flows effortlessly off the tongue as though it were part of a nursery rhyme. But the story of this neighborhood—from “hell on earth” to a hip locale—is more complex than the name lets on.
For generations, SoBro, traditionally known as Mott Haven, was a crime-infested junkyard. In the 1950s and 60s, poor immigrant families were displaced from Manhattan due to massive urban renewal projects, and many relocated to the Bronx. Unwilling to take care of decaying rent-controlled properties, stingy landlords literally set their buildings on fire in order to liquidate their assets. In 1977, when a building near the World Series game at Yankees Stadium succumbed to flames, the announcer stated bluntly, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning.”
But a new wave of artists and young professionals seeking cheap rent and proximity to Manhattan are helping to bring Mott Haven back to life. Former factories, once on the brink of collapse, have been transformed into vast loft spaces. Abandoned storefronts now host cafes, art galleries, antique stores and bars. Stations along the 6 train, such as 138th Street, Brook, or Cypress Avenues, are now brimming with rush-hour activity not seen for decades. Read More »