This Mega-Development Was Built on an Active Railway 

I appreciate that this channel is not simply, "look at these amazing new developments!", but also looks critically at the effect these developments have on the communities in which they're built. It would be easy to just make a fluff piece, but taking into account the lack of affordable housing and the risk to taxpayers really elevates The B1M to a journalistic standard.

Regardless of the specifics of Hudson Yards, building over "empty" areas of cities like that is such a great idea. I would love to see something like that done for stretches of the Mass Pike in Boston (the already did at Back Bay).

8:13 "To be truly embraced as a new NYC neighborhood, Hudson Yards will need to deliver what the people of Manhattan really need, not just developers think they want." 💯💯

The best closing statement of all B1M videos yet, IMHO... "It's lasting success can be determined by the culture and community that grows there. To be truly embraced as a new NYC neighborhood, it has to deliver on what people of Manhattan really need, not just what developers think they want."... that is the issue around of every dollar put on urban development in the world right now.

The Deck looks like the Stark Tower.

I’ve been there once.. I actually liked it. But yeah, it’s kindda sterile at the moment. It has a Dubai feel where everything is just for display. But Hey, it’s still in NYC! In 2-5 years time & when the pandemic is over, this area will be thriving for sure.

As an African developer in Africa BM1 has been my go to guide in understanding how real estate can be functional for as long as it exists.

It’s actually kinda of hard to even get over there. The 7 train station be closed for no reason and waiting for a bus in the shadows of those skyscrapers be having you feel like Spongebob at Rock Bottom. Hopefully the area gets better over time.

I don't think Hudson Yards is necessarily "bad", but there's so many ways it could be better. Its desolate feeling is almost an inevitability when constructing a district from scratch, rather than it growing incrementally, but I do believe it will acquire more character over time, as people live and grow-up in the area. I agree with the point in the video, stating that the housing-heavy Western phase of the project should have been built first, rather than flooding a retail-rich area with more retail. NYC desperately needs much more housing supply, and the project could have made a small but noticeable impact in rents in Midtown, though it will never become "cheap". People decry HY as "gentrification", but Midtown and Manhattan as a whole have been gentrified for quite a long time. More development for the city is generally good, but with the amount of public funds that have gone into it, the level of attention to providing social amenities to West Manhattan should have been much greater. The Western phase should be built, and I am confident it will have some benefit to the area, but the developers and the city need to learn from the shortcomings of the Eastern phase when building the new residences and the school.

Hard to believe that massive sky scraper is held up with those tiny pylons between TIGHT train tracks.

Like Samuel, I live half a mile from Hudson Yards but I've been there a total of two times. Once to buy mustard at the Whole Foods and another time in an ill-fated attempt to see the Vessel with my friends. Even though the location isn't all that bad, the 7 train is relatively accessible to all my friends, it just feels so sterile, with all of its spaces and activities catered to the extremely wealthy. When you and all of your friends make less than 50k, the whole neighborhood feels alien. Honestly, there are more things for us to do and eat on the traditionally expensive UES.

Most of what goes on in Manhattan real estate isn't about "doing good." It's about making massive amounts of money for real estate agents and developers, and to make sure that the rich can dodge taxes, since those who run the city, like Eric Adams, are all about protecting the rich over the working people.

It took forever for Neiman Marcus to come to Manhattan, and in less than three years, it's already gone. Nobody wants to go to a mall when they go to New York City. Hudson Yards, is just that, a mall. An empty mall at that. Even before the pandemic, it was virtually empty. Department stores are one thing, but malls don't belong in city centers.

Visited in July and went to the Vessel and Edge and this place is amazing.

Well done once again The B1M. You make me regret not having fallen in love with Engineering when I was younger and am now envious of people who work on these projects. Thanks a lot. Great video.

I don't know but that observation deck looks incredible!

I’m not too sure its what NY needed but I cant deny it looks good. The 7 train takes you there, then probably the longest escalator I’ve ever been on takes you up to street level. The High Line Park starts/ends there its a very pleasant walk. I still have to check out the Edge what a cool vantage point to see the city from

My phone : battery 2% Me : "But B1M just uploaded new video" My phone : oke I'll wait

These videos are getting better and better. Awesome topics, high quality videos and consistent uploading, i love this channel

This Hudson Yards project reminds me of a song Melanie wrote years ago, and performed by the New Seekers: Look What They Done To My Song, Ma. When I visited New York before the pandemic hit, I wasn't too thrilled to see those ginormous skyscrapers which ruined one of the most beautiful skylines in America. I missed seeing the classic Empire State and Chrysler Buildings as the bus I rode on was making its way to the Lincoln Tunnel. What the hell were they thinking? my mind was screaming! None the less, when the other projects, a new stadium for the Olympics and other proposals fell through, this one came along. I did see it up close, but was not too impressed by it. I liked the video's explanation of how this work was done and how they manage to keep a delicate balance between the buildings and the rail yards underneath. It may be years after the pandemic or other urban challenges until these places gain acceptance from New Yorkers and visitors. I liked this video. Keep up the good work!

Hudson Yards reminds me of Mordor, with the Edge being Barad-dûr and the Vessel as Mt. Doom.

NYC + The B1M = best combination! I can't wait to go back to New York....

If they want to "fix" the development, make the western development mostly the same, but connect the buildings with ground level street facing shops and restaurants instead of mall-like development, and make the park an area to sit, eat and enjoy. That will make the place a destination for upper/middle class people for restaurants, which will bring more people to the entire area as a whole. Also allow the park to be used for rotating art installations, public free events, and flea/farmers markets. That will bring the area economic prosperity up and down the socioeconomic range. But since these developers only care for the ultra wealthy, they wont change anything and hudson yards will become a worse and more boring fidi in 5 years

I live in NYC and I’ve been in Hudson Yards a few times. The station is clean and it’s right next to the Javits Convention Center. The pandemic has really affected traffic not to mention the Vessel has attracted some negative attention in the form of people jumping off it, they have officially closed it off indefinitely.

Wow! I love your editing, high quality video

I just visited there a few days ago as a tourist and I’m in love with every aspect of it

Much love from NYC, B1M! Your channel is a part of the good content on YT. Please keep it up. Cheers!

I have visited this place a few times already, thanks to the Megabus stop :)

Even though I'm not an engineer, engineering student, nor do I have any great interest in engineering, I love this channels vids. They make it so much easier to understand and appreciate.

This reminds me of the problems that the area known as Porto Maravilha (Marvelous Port) is facing in Rio de Janeiro. It is a good development because it occupies an empty region, but there is also a desolation and lack of residents.

Every time I go to Hudson yards is busy and hopping

Once again, an amazing presentation of Architectural Construction “Facts” with no bias (hopefully) showing us some of the phenomenal possibilities and positives but at the same time noting and sorting out some of the absolute negatives involved (particularly the struggling middle class in inner city life) in a project of this magnitude. Again and again, thanks. Great job, - We expect nothing less.

Vessel was closed temporarily this year after the third suicide. Who could have ever predicted that a 150ft staircase to nowhere would be used for that purpose. Another sign that the designers and developers here were completely disconnected from community requirements and just bundled together some buildings that looked cool in CAD and labelled it a "precinct"

Architecture critic Kate Wagner described the Vessel best: THE VESSEL IS REALLY A PERFECT NAME for the sixteen-story monument nestled in the midst of the now complete “neighborhood” (read: real estate scheme) of Hudson Yards, New York City. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, one of architecture’s premier grifters, a man who should be banned internationally from using the term “parti,” the Vessel is composed of 154 flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 landings. Apparently the architect drew inspiration from an early experience with, to nobody’s surprise, an old staircase. The depth of architectural thinking at work here makes a kiddie-pool seem oceanic. The Vessel is a structure that invites parody-it has already been likened to a giant shawarma, a beehive, a pine cone, a wastebasket. Apparently, there is to be a competition for a new name, as “The Vessel” was only supposed to be a temporary one. It really is the perfect name, however, not least because it implies a certain emptiness. One asks, though, what it is a vessel for? It is a Vessel for the depths of architectural cynicism, of form without ideology and without substance: an architectural practice that puts the commodifiable image above all else, including the social good, aesthetic expression, and meaningful public space. It is a Vessel for the architecture of views, perhaps the hottest spatial commodity of all. It is a Vessel for capital, for a real estate grift that can charge more for an already multi-million dollar apartment because it merely faces it. It is a Vessel for a so-called neighborhood that poorly masks its intention to build luxury assets for the criminally wealthy under the guise of investing in the city and “public space.” What is public space if not that land allocated (thanks to the generosity of our Real Estate overlords) to the city’s undeserving plebeians, who can interface with it in one of two ways: as consumers or interlopers, both allowed only to play from dawn ‘til dusk in the discarded shadows of the ultra-rich? Unlike a real neighborhood, which implies some kind of social collaboration or collective expression of belonging, Hudson Yards is a contrived place that was never meant for us. Because of this, the Vessel is also a Vessel for outrage like my own. It is a Vessel for labor without purpose. The metaphor of the stairway to nowhere precludes a tiring climb to the top where one is expected to spend a few moments with a cell-phone, because at least a valedictory selfie rewards us with the feeling that we wasted time on a giant staircase for something-perhaps something contained in the Vessel. The Vessel valorizes work, the physical work of climbing, all while cloaking it in the rhetoric of enjoyment, as if going up stairs were a particularly ludic activity. The inclusion of an elevator that only stops on certain platforms is ludicrously provocative. The presence of the elevator implies a pressure for the abled-bodied to not use it, since by doing so one bypasses “the experience” of the Vessel, an experience of menial physical labor that aims to achieve the nebulous goal of attaining slightly different views of the city. Unlike the Eiffel Tower, to which the Vessel has been unfathomably compared, the Vessel is just tall enough to make you feel bad for not hiking up it. To climb the Eiffel Tower is equally pointless, but its sheer size makes taking the elevator the de facto, socially normalized experience. The elevators of the Vessel and their lackluster architectural integration belie the architectural profession’s view of accessibility as a code-enforced concession rather than an ethos, a moral right to architecture for all. By taking the elevator up the Vessel, you are both inviting the judgment of your peers who insist on hauling ass up sixteen stories and confirming its sheer pointlessness as a structure; for, unlike the Eiffel Tower, which has a restaurant and shop, there is nothing at the top other than a view of the Hudson and the sad promise of the repeat performance of laboring your way back down. The Vessel is a vessel for another type of labor: digital labor. Until a few days ago, after a moment of social media outrage, if you were to take a selfie or a photo at the Vessel, the Hudson Yards developers would own the rights to your content in perpetuity. (Now they have the right to circulate and use your media, but not to own it outright.) Regardless of these changes, by taking a selfie or photograph (an act that, to be fair, is perhaps the only true purpose of the Vessel), you are still doing the unpaid work of promotion and content creation for a developer conglomerate, regardless of your intent. By merely stepping foot in the complex, you waive your right to privacy and are ruthlessly surveilled by subtly hidden cameras. What is done with this footage can only be suspected, but it doesn’t stop our malevolent shawarma from serving as a convenient, yes, architectural vessel-not only for affective labor but also the dystopian world-building of surveillance capitalism itself. The Vessel betrays the fact that behind the glitzy, techno-urbanist facade of the Smart City™ lies the cold machinations of a police state. That architecture is used as live bait for these purposes is but one of many symptoms pointing to a field in a state of ethical decline. The Vessel has invited nearly universal vitriol, even amongst the politest architecture critics. It is an object lesson teaching us that, in our neoliberal age of surveillance capitalism-an era where the human spirit is subjected to a regime of means testing and digital disruption, and a cynical view of the city as an engine of real estate prevails-architecture, quite frankly, sucks.

Who'd ever think that an anonymous, shiny staircase to nowhere reminiscent of all cyberpunk zaibatsu nightmare scenarios would become a popular suicide location 🤔

Ofc it is 🔥🔥 especially during Christmas season everything lights up love it definitely a must see while your in New York

The Hudson Yards is an extraordinary development and very creative architecturally, especially considering it is built over active rail yards. 30 Hudson Yards in particular, with its protruding observation deck is a very unique and interesting building. Thank you for your work on this wonderful video and channel.

A new B1M video to start my day. Excellent as always.

Thank you for the sharing.

I know lots of people who have seen The Vessel, but didn't know it was in New York. It's really weird because it's actually fairly iconic where a decent amount of people have seen it, but don't know the name, what it is or where it is (even if they know it's in New York). No one talks or shares photos of the other public spaces or even the mall. This is especially true for The Edge which really should be the kind of place that draws people to post on Instagram. But I see it much less often "in the wild" (where I'm not looking specifically for it or anything related to it) than I do The Vessel, which again I see fairly often.

Another absolutely superb presentation by The B1M. Supreme content every time. Thankyou!

Was just there two weeks ago, it was rather crowded for a Friday around noon, I took my daughter for a walk up the High Line, and since the last phase was closed for work, we had to walk out through the Hudson Yards to get to the subway station. I will say, that “Vessel” thing is kind of dumb since it’s just a bunch of stairs with zero disabled access. That western section is still just a rail yard as far as I can tell, but I do know they did shift the tracks around slightly a few years ago while they were also digging a tunnel bell a future Hudson River tunnel (something that would have been impossible once the Hudson Yards was built) so there’s space for the support columns.

A classic, high-quality B1M video, I love it! ❤️

Truly fantastic analysis and presentation. Thanks B1M, you’re really the definitive construction channel.

The production quality on these videos is absolutely incredible. The B1M is by far the best architecture/engineering channel on RU-vid.

Architecturally and conceptually I think Hudson Yards is great, but if it can't fulfil its purpose it's not that great... Great video once again! E: Also, the footage you get from The Dronalist is fantastic!

Beautiful footage as always!

I just came across this channel I totally love it, very classy and informative and well detailed in a condensed amount of time!

How developers steal money meant for affordable housing: 1: Advertise that they're going to build a mixture of luxury and affordable housing 2: Build the luxury housing 3: Whoopsie poopsie! Something went wrong and we can't build the affordable housing! Sorry! Thanks for all the money though!

The whole area just seems too sterile and superficial. It was obvious designed for people with a certain income level. You’re not going to find the regular NY’er over there because there really is no need to go there. The mall is very high end and seems quite unwelcoming. The only good things to visit over there is the observation deck called The Edge and the connection to the high line park which is one of my favorite attractions on that side of the city.

Just want to express my appreciation for this channel. Thanks folks, always very pro and super interesting.

Thank you so much.

Really insightful quote when he said he goes everywhere in a half mile radius BUT Hudson Yards. Really shows the impact of the place currently, especially for someone not from NY

I love how these huge mega projects that cater to the ultra wealthy get free money from the government at the local, state, and federal level to build it. All to benefit people who don’t need a cent of the money. They could easily fund it themselves. How disgusting.

I work in the neighborhood, it's great to get a better idea of what the area is like now. Still lots of construction to go!

It's cool because I just watched your Hudson yards video from three years ago and now today there is a new one. Nice coincidence.

i went there and the whole time, i felt like a thief. it felt so wealthy that i couldn’t think of any reason why i was there except to pull off a heist

I personally love Hudson Yards. It's a breathe of fresh air compared to the rest of the city. There's a lot of public space to just chill and hangout and the High Line Park leads right up to it. The architecture is amazing. My friends and I live in Brooklyn but it's starting to become our hangout spot. Access to it is easy, 34th St Station is only two blocks away, so we don't have to take the 7 and transfer. We enjoy it a lot, and I hope Phase Two expands the experience. I know it'll bounce back once the effects of the pandemic starts to lessen, so enjoy it now before it gets too crowded!!

Thanks!

Hudson Yards is pretty damn cool, i can't wait to visit when i get home to the NY/NJ area. The "Edge" looks amazing, i just want to walk around this place and have lunch/dinner there, i think it would make a great story and event as well as something fun to do.

I loved the balance of the video. No matter how impressive the infrastructure project it needs to meet the needs of people to bring life to it.

Dude I love your content please keep making videos like these. I’m not from NYC and had no idea this was happening, but it’s very interesting!

I really appreciate ALL your features. They are always fascinating, entertaining and very educational. Thank you so much. That said, I am sorry you didn't speak in more detail about the Trouble with The Vessel.

Gotta love when drone footage gets put to good use! ❤️

They built and planned for executives and hedge fund managers to buy investment properties they can resell at a later date for a profit, while using them short term as rental spaces. The need was LOW COST HOUSING!! Millennials having been saying that for ages now. Our grandparents bought their homes with a single person working in a family with three to five children. Now, a 2 bedroom apartment built 20 years ago gets shared by 5 working people, all of whom have no full time job, but has 3 part time jobs that pays next to nothing.

Beautiful Video Thank You Friend👌👌👌

2:00 A silent 't' in 'arts'. Amaizin.

4 Suicides as of December 2021, The Vessel of suicide is a prime example of disconnect with the 6 or 7 figure salary developers and the community that lives barely paycheck to paycheck. "To be truly embraced as a new NYC neighborhood, Hudson Yards will need to deliver what the people of Manhattan really need, not just developers think they want."

We need more B1M videos!

Kudos! Well put message.

I like the critical perspective! Something I often still was missing on this channel, especially regarding ecological and social impacts of technical interesting construction projects. Please keep it this way 👍🏼

I visited back in 2019 and was underwhelmed. The mall concept with an unsightly attraction didn’t make sense to me. I go to New York frequently and have still not seen all the “classic” attractions which abound throughout the city. One other thing about the Vessel. At the time that I visited, the staff seemed confused about what to do. I was given a ticket (it was free back then) and thought it would be nice to take the elevator up and then walk back down. But I found out the elevator was only for the disabled and there was a line and it was very disorganized. Also, I don’t believe the elevator went all the way to the top. The long and short of it is that Hudson Yards falls far short of the average NYC neighborhood- seems to be the antithesis of what a NYC neighborhood should be. It lacks distinctive character and seems to be the brainchild of someone who doesn’t like the “grittiness” of New York with its mishmosh of cultures, high and low end stores, and diverse food choices. I don’t know if or when I’ll ever visit that particular area again. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.

The reason why the area is so desolate is because nobody lives there. They’re investment properties for billionaires. I bet you the lights are all off in the evening.

I was always a big Box & GBStory watcher & once GBS went away I was sad but now I’m so happy I found B1M! It has great stories & this guys voice is so calming & uplifting at the same time!🤟✅💯 #TopNotchB1M

Walking the Highline ends in the Hudson Yards. We walked it at night in November. Very festive atmosphere gearing up for Christmas.

I visited hudson yards in 2019. And even before covid it was quite lifeless. Only tourists were there for the vessel. The whole area seemed isolated from the rest of the city.

When I was there in June, there was a TON of activity. Might just be an influx of tourists during peak season though.

This has to be one of the best if not the best channel on RU-vid

Awesome visualisation

I'm not sure which was planned first, Hudson Yards, or the Penn Station expansion, but now there's the Empire Station complex coming to the area too. That's definitely a lot of work, even if it's pricing people out of the neighborhood.

Developers making what they want, not what people need. Sounds like the Big 3 car manufacturers and big gaming companies.

IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! WOW! 😊

That intro... One of my favorite songs :) good editing Edit: The song is Swif7 - All for Me, if anyone's wondering...

It's basically a NYC version of Canary Wharf in London then...

In any case it’s an interesting developpement: the neighborhood used to be one of the grimiest in Manhattan - typical train station/industrial style place - and now one to rival the most exclusive manhattan addresses but still in a larger rundown area…

loved it thanks!!!

Wow definitely need to get over to visit here

I'm blown away by the engineering but saddened by the lack of connection to and consideration of what regular citizens need.

Great video. I think Samuel's wording in almost calling it "desolate" feels right with all these developments that look more like real estate fortresses than human scale places for meeting with friends or having a beer. It's cool to look at though.

Great video!

Wonderful place

Hudson Yards is like Melbourne’s Docklands - all steel, glass and concrete, and totally devoid of life.

I have been working in the real estate development industry for 6 years, and I can tell you outright that project like this will never accommodate average folks. The simple reason is, when you build tall, cost goes up, and the high construction cost will be reflected on the tenants' monthly rent or the condos' listing price. The developers have to get their money back somehow. these buildings do look beautiful, but they will not become homes for your average New Yorker who make around 50K. What I do not understand is, if local government has the money to finance this project, why not just use that money to build a large public park on top of the old rail yard? Building a public park will be a lot cheaper than building these fancy skyscrapers, and allow everyone (rich or poor) around it enjoy this newly created public amenity.

Very good editing for this video. Much better than your previous ones.

Nice narration..!! Mega structures...

If Big Bird showed up, then you know they mean business.

It’s amazing and employed A LOT of people. What an improvement over the dump it was before - yet people still complain.

I’m impressed how much you packed in this 9 minute video! I’m a native New Yorker and marvel how that area has been completely transformed over the years.

I went to Hudson yards 1 day ago, it was truly amazing! The balcony provides amazing views of the New York skyline!

It's a great place to live if you have money to live in fancy new apartment buildings and travel outside the neighborhood for everything else.