After Sept. 11th, I wanted to come to NYC and see the aftermath of that horrible day. I haven't had the means to do so since, what w/ family and work. Until I get to Ground Zero and pay my respects in person, I thank you Jim for at least showing a glimse of what I need to do before I die. God bless.
Good video. I remember when the motorway extended all the way down to Battery Park Tunnel, as a viaduct. Not only was it a lot faster as a viaduct, but, it was more interesting as well--with views of The Hudson on 1 side & the skyscrapers on the other. When the city tore the viaduct down, I always told people that the city was "Going back in time " as far as that went. I also remember that stretch bet. the WTC & WFC being temp. closed down on that day when the WTC was 1st. bombed in 1993.
I am really bummed that YT has blocked the video of you going down the Henry Hudson Pkwy...i loved the song by Bruce Springsteen..it helped to make that one of my favorite videos by you...i hope you can reupload that, but with music that YT won't ban the video for..cuz that was a cool virtual drive!!! I hope to be able to see NYC someday..but in the meantime, your vids are the second best thing to being there!! Plase keep them going!!
Wow, my first time watching this. Steve Anderson tipped me off last week about how this road used to be an elevated structure that collapsed in the mid-70's (I think?). I'm sure the new West Side Hwy gets badly congested during rush hours, but it looks aesthetically a million times better than that old elevated structure. I'm such the local residents appreciate the landscaped, at-grade boulevard a lot more, too. I only drove about a mile of this section in 2009. Great video!
I think I liked it better when half of The West Side Highway contained that abandoned viaduct. Especially when pedestrians would use it to take nice really long walks, jogging and even running so they wouldn't have to deal with traffic lights at all.
People who think so don't know the details and most likely have no concept of engineering. In the last year, they've built up 1WTC from three stories below grade to 105 feet above, installed 6 stories of steel across the 4 acre memorial site, and finished excavation of the old PATH station. Almost all sub-grade work on 4WTC is finished, and it didn't even exist in January. Progress may seem slow, but the location is insanely complex. Remember that the original WTC took 8 years to build.
Skyline by ground zero has changed radically since 2009 as the "new WTC" is going up. At 46th street you passed the Intrepid Air and Space museum. In the 30's the Javits Center.
I don't think the US will ever get off it's ass to try to out beat the Burj Dudai. That is an engineering wonder, and now with all the new safety features being put into skyscrapers post 9/11, nothing could bring that building down. However, New York being one of the skyscaper capitols, we got to get moving. San Fran is the 14th largest city and they have plan for a few building to be taller than the state building. New York needs to take back it's crown!
Let me say, though, that I do think we should start making some pretty awesome buildings again. Like the Chicago Spire or the WTC 1. Just because we shouldn't show off doesn't mean we can't build a tall, pretty building or two every once in a while.
@fmelissa169 -Thank you! I did not like the footage in that video, the zoom button got knocked in accidentally, not sure what I'll do with it, maybe a "remix" who knows. :)
For the record, an ENORMOUS amount of work has been done at ground zero in the last two years, but most of it is below grade. Hence tourists walking by and complaining that "so little a has been done at ground zero."
As big as his ego was, you can't say it was a horrible idea. Putting the new towers on new footprints and making the old footprints into a memorial. Out of all the plans they've shown for the site, that's the only one i like. As for making them taller, the towers were known for being the tallest in the world. Now we're beat out by Kuala Lumpur and Taipei. I say we need to get back in the game.
But haven't the reconstruction efforts at Ground Zero been hampered by the families of the 9/11 victims who really want the entire WTC site to be turned into a memorial to their relatives and don't want ANY office space rebuilt anywhere on the 16 acres? I think that explains at least in part why the rebuilding is taking so long. Thousands of people died on that land. Such was not the case with the Empire State Building site or any other site in the city. No emotional attachment for anyone.
It's not that we can't (beat the Burj Dubai), it's that we don't need to. Those hi-tech, futuristic extravaganzas that the Emiratis are trying to get us used to are more of a showoff and turist-attractors than anything. The gilded age is over, at least in America, and I say if we are going to invest our money in real estate, let's find more practical solutions than mile-high skyscrapers. Something less aberrant and more aesthetically pleasing.
I think the skyline would get worse with that ugly design plan. Surrounded by all those old historic buildings. It would stand out too much. I used to draw the towers too. I even built them out of Legos (and the brooklyn bridge out of K-nex).
