New Yorkers: Weigh in on the Swiftly Sprouting ASTOR PLACE "Luxury" High Rise

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This is a great thread, gives a real sense of environ.. ya'know?

Nellie (nellskies), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:06 (twenty years ago) link

they have a cube like that on broadway and liberty. there's always someone who has to take a picture making it look like the cube is about to fall on and crush them or something.

Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:08 (twenty years ago) link

What about the Mud Truck?

Jimmy Mod, Man About Towne (ModJ), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:11 (twenty years ago) link

Hahaha...guess that one's a bit too long.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:11 (twenty years ago) link

ROOOOOXXXOOOOOR!!!

http://www.chenguin.com/movies2.html

Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:45 (twenty years ago) link

as for the highrise, like the Glen Canyon dam it must go
Carl Fischer shall be avenged !

Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 13 August 2004 02:58 (twenty years ago) link

I hate the highrises. Since I live up in the east 80s, they pretty much dominate the landscape. But I mean, I know why they're there, because people wanna live here and there's money to be made. I'm surprised that the zoning right there allows for one, since they seem to be relatively strict about where you can put up towers. Astor Place seems like it should have some kind of historic protection or something. But zoning always confuses me.

And to make things even worse, I'm actually moving into a 16-story Midtown apartment building, because we need more space. It's not exactly my ideal living environment. But it does have laundry in the basement. And it's on a really ugly block anyway, near the Queensboro bridge, so it's not damaging any urban fabric. (excuses, excuses...)

spittle (spittle), Friday, 13 August 2004 05:35 (twenty years ago) link

has anyone noticed that they're building a new westin at the corner of LUDLOW AND RIVINGTON?!?!?!? who the fuck would want to stay there???

Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 13 August 2004 12:44 (twenty years ago) link

I dunno, Yanc3, L.E.S. is more and more Westin-demo worthy these days. Going out to drink on Ludlow Street last night only reinforced that feeling.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 12:49 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, but that block is a shithole! (aside teany, of course)(you went to that thing with lauren and aaron? i totally forgot about it)

Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 13 August 2004 12:54 (twenty years ago) link

Jeex, this is cool thread, I Love NYC, wish to fuck I could live there, even just for a while.

Can anyone tell me anything about the Turtle Bay area? (If indeed it is an area)

mzui, Friday, 13 August 2004 12:56 (twenty years ago) link

Isn't the U.N. near there, Yanc3y?

Carey (Carey), Friday, 13 August 2004 12:57 (twenty years ago) link

hahaha. hi carey.

Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 13 August 2004 12:58 (twenty years ago) link

There was an interview with one of the owners of Luna Lounge where he was talking about having to move from the LES because of super high rents, that retail real estate on Ludlow costs more than on Park Ave.

Wow, I am really hungry right now.

Carey (Carey), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:05 (twenty years ago) link

the high rents on Ludlow = Billy Corgan's fault. I'm not making that up.

I'd say, "relax, move to Brooklyn," but y'know, fuck Forest City Ratner.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:08 (twenty years ago) link

We saw James Iha on the street the other day.

Back to Astor Place, that thing is hella annoying and crap. I agree with Alex.

Aaron W (Aaron W), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:25 (twenty years ago) link

how does it = billy corgan's fault?

what's funny is that i've lived on ludlow for three years now, and every year our landlord has LOWERED our rent.

Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:26 (twenty years ago) link

he bought that apartment above Max Fish. Think he sold it later, but there you go.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:30 (twenty years ago) link

I'm going to start blaming Corgan for all real estate woes. Fucker.

Aaron W (Aaron W), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:34 (twenty years ago) link

it makes it more fun.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:39 (twenty years ago) link

btw thanks for the hangout last night Aaron! You and your roommate are treats!

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:39 (twenty years ago) link

That picture WAY upthread Alex linked to of this structure REALLY DOES look like that tower at the end of Time Bandits.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:55 (twenty years ago) link

are you talking about the hotel that's been under construction for ages, yanc3y?

lauren (laurenp), Friday, 13 August 2004 14:01 (twenty years ago) link

Nothing on this thread makes any sense except for the awesome historical shots of Astor Place. But maybe that's because Astor Place doesn't make any sense to me, never has. First of all you can only transfer in one direction on the 6 train, there, but maybe that's another thread.

I mean: is that doughy-looking foreskin thing going to be it? Because I'm sorry I think that's just frickin cool! And I guess I can sort of see how it would be too tall, but hey if you're going to create a gigantic foreskin, build big, baby. Don't let anyone forget what that mohel did to you.

It's not like Astor Place was some kind of down-home human-sized place before this started, either. It's been K-Mart, Starbucks, and Crunch gym hell for YEARS now, if you're inclined to see it that way, and I honestly don't see how this is going to make much of a difference in that regard. St. Marks will continue to be the most annoying street in the entire world. As long as they keep the $11 fade barbershop down there under the street I'll be happy—no, HONORED— to walk past a 1:28 rendering of a man's most private surgery on the way to getting my follicles chopped.

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 13 August 2004 14:48 (twenty years ago) link

I'm with the Hand

gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 13 August 2004 14:51 (twenty years ago) link

There are levels of inexplicable beauty on this thread. I really want to visit NYC now.

jocelyn (Jocelyn), Friday, 13 August 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago) link

Wow I forgot all about that U.N. conversation.

Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Friday, 13 August 2004 15:12 (twenty years ago) link

It's not like Astor Place was some kind of down-home human-sized place before this started, either. It's been K-Mart, Starbucks, and Crunch gym hell for YEARS now

I think what I object to the most about the project are the following:

1. Another great area of open space in Manhattan has vanished (or been severely comprimised).
2. The martini-swiggin', Eurotrash riff-raff it'll bring into the neighborhood.
3. Ian Schrager has enough damn money and enough of a stranglehold on Manhattan already
4. Gentrification sucks
5. I fear change.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 16:59 (twenty years ago) link

6. One less place to park one's car.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago) link

4. Gentrification sucks

Gentrify Astor Place?

Jimmy Mod, Man About Towne (ModJ), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:01 (twenty years ago) link

I should say: one less place to pay handsomely to park one's car in an exposed, poorly-supervised lot.

I meant gentrification as a whole.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:01 (twenty years ago) link

I'm just going to post this pic again, as I think it kicks an entire dinner table of ass!

http://www.desordre.net/photographie/photographes/robert_frank/astor_place.jpg

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:05 (twenty years ago) link

I bet the dude in the hat is craving a venti Iced latte right about there.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:06 (twenty years ago) link

I just walked past it on the way to the 6 (East Village reprezent) and, again, I agree. It's going to be an eyesore of a building.

Aaron W (Aaron W), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:07 (twenty years ago) link

astor place has already had the hell gentrified out of it, as tracer points out. you describe it upthread as "skater kids, gutter punks, irritating NYU'rs and pretentious Cooper Union brats hanging out at the Cube right in front of your lobby, the constant traffic stemming from Lafayette zooming up to 4th Avenue, the constant spillout of human cattle coming in and out of the Astor Place subway station." it's like someone's trying to pave prospect park. the area is a total nightmare anyway. from an urban conservationist perspective, i don't see how this will make it worse. and if you're worried about martini-swigging eurotrash, note that page six ground zero butter has been right there on lafayette street for a while now.

lauren (laurenp), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:10 (twenty years ago) link

Oh man fuck people who drive cars in Manhattan.

hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:14 (twenty years ago) link

^

Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:18 (twenty years ago) link

the area is a total nightmare anyway

Well, yeah, but why make it worse?

Butter is awful. For some reason, I'm on their mailing list, and I cannot for the life of me fathom how that came to be.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:20 (twenty years ago) link

you knew someone in high school

gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:21 (twenty years ago) link

Could be. I went to its former incarnation as Belgo (and my wife stole an etched beer glass from them...very naughty), but never to Butter.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 17:28 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.readio.com/archives/0304/23/img9.gif

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 18:59 (twenty years ago) link

http://valerian.araneum.ca/Images/newyork/stmarks.jpg

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 August 2004 19:01 (twenty years ago) link


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