Gothamist: A New Gateway to New York

daniel harvey

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:02:29 -0500

Yes demolishing the old Penn Station for MSG was a "architectural crime" but why repeat that same mistake and destroy this lovely post office?

Brightliner

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:29:31 -0500

The West Side railyard isn't vacant. Trains coming and going between New Jersey and Penn Station pass through that. "Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves. Even when we had Penn Station, we couldn’t afford to keep it clean. We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed." - "Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times editorial October 30, 1963

Captain Midnight

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 15:18:48 -0500

What Amtrak needs is to be eliminated and its rights of way turned over to companies willing to build true high speed trains. We might actually be riding in 300mph maglev trains today if Amtrak didn't have all the valuable rights of way tied up and private companies knew they wouldn't have to compete against a federally subsidized organization.

Max

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:48:24 -0500

burg: The main tenant in the new building will be NJ Transit, which is huge. LIRR is trying to build a tunnel to and then eventually an entirely new station under Grand Central (East Side Access). Moynihan unfortunately doesn't bring any new tracks but it will help alleviate crowding in the passageways and waiting areas in Penn Station. NJ Transit will probably have more tracks at their disposal once East Side Access is complete. Amtrak... who the heck knows at this point.

bob denver

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:14:36 -0500

Yeah, N, the old penn station looks great. Why don't these fuckers just use the vacant railyards to rebuild the original penn station and forget about the sports stadiums. I'd be up for that.

N

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 13:43:46 -0500

It's true, this is good progress, but still nothing compared to the old Penn Station. As stated in the Wikipedia article: "Architectural historian Vincent Scully once wrote, 'One entered the city like a god, one scuttles in now like a rat.'" To think that we could still have that today is heartbreaking.

Barry Popik

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 13:43:19 -0500

I might add the following web saying to my "Big Apple" dictionary web page: ... http://hrshbrgr.com/humor.htm "Yield not to Penn Station, but deliver us from evil."

Doctor Memory

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:57:47 -0500

Burg: I'm assuming that it's because Amtrak is, as usual, dead broke, and can't afford to participate.

burg

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:53:48 -0500

Why isn't Amtrack in on this? Does this mean that Penn will be all Amtrack and Moynihan will be LIRR and Subway only? That's not too smart.

Rose

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:28:08 -0500

And is Patricia Heaton really short or is Brad Garrett really tall?

bob denver

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:21:35 -0500

I like the shape of the undulating roof. It looks like the design was lifted out of the Gaudi design for the wtc site. What I don't like is the chicken wire look. I don't understand the fascination these guys have with chicken wire. Did the designer grow up on a chicken farm and sees the transit riding public as poultry? I would like to see them keep the shape of the roof, but give it a cleaner less busy look. What I object to more is that the model does away with the water filled moats around the perimeter of the building. Bring back the water moats!

FedUp

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:40:31 -0500

Whatever they do, please don't let Pataki touch it.

Kevin Walsh

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:34:21 -0500

This project has been delayed for over 10 years. I'll believe it when I see the steam shovels... www.forgotten-ny.com

S.D.

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:10:10 -0500

This does looks nice. I wonder how hard/easy it is to maintain?

Brightliner

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:35:35 -0500

It's not bad, but the undulating roof does nothing for me. It feels a little too ephemeral, too flimsy, like there isn't much there. I always catch my breath when I see the pictures of old Penn Station, with its beefy steel columns leading up to spectacular steel and glass vaults that really gave a sense of being substantial, as if it were the biggest subway station you've ever seen. But where's the NY Times? Why are they AWOL on this story? There's nothing about the new design in today's online edition.

MT

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:28:57 -0500

You have to admit, some of the greatest development in a while has been brought to the light of day under Bloomie: Calatrava's PATH station and his 80 South Street tower, the Gehry HQ for InterActive, the Meier towers (even if they do leak) Moynihan Station, Norman Foster's Hearst Tower. . . . . I personally am thrilled that New York is getting some beautiful and original architecture again.

Tim N.

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:02:02 -0500

Thank God. I hope this teaches Mayor Bling that things can still be done in NY. They just have to be good ideas that the people (for whom you work) are behind.