No, it’s not a Dr. Who reference…
New Yorkers have been beleaguered by incessant construction noise and the the city’s mid-section has had the worst of it with large development plans not only on Central Park South and 57th Street (Billionaire’s Row) but development in the lower ’50’s at Second Avenue and even proposed for along the East River.
Although some of those projects may never materialize, such as 3 Sutton Place which is looking for a buyer, or reach their intended fruition like One 57 which is seeing sales slow and investors taking $7M losses, its some cold comfort to know that its not just NYC that is under siege.
In an interesting piece from across the pond, the Guardian reports of similar scenarios.
“It makes no more contribution to London than a gold bar in a bank vault, but is far more prominent, a great smudge of tainted wealth on the city’s horizon.”
Just substitute “New York” for “London” and you have the same news. Architecture Critic Simon Jenkins recounts a scenario of star-struck politicians, spot zoning and greed.
There was no published plan for the drastic surgery being inflicted on London’s appearance. No limit was set to the towers’ location or height. No one took care of their appearance or bulk, their civic significance or their role in the life of the capital. Some 80% of the approvals were for luxury flats, chiefly marketed as speculations in east Asia. Such has been the rate of unrestricted growth, there seems no reason to doubt the dystopian vision of London’s future depicted in the last Star Trek movie.
Our message to The Old Smoke- we hear you!