Gothamist: Last Wooden Water Tower Builders Vie for Supremacy

snessnyc

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:40:06 -0500

Poster #1 (thenamesdave) should really examine what his aesthetics are. As the Rosenwach logo states, they are "The Skyline of New York." Water towers are truly the New York skyline's signature, and it would not be the same without them. From my gym window, until yet another oversized, overpriced "luxury" condo went up to block the view, I could count 12 water towers - and that only from the 3rd floor! From a high floor they're almost too numerous to count. And what a brilliant, energy-efficient solution to a problem they are! Pump water up once, and let gravity do the work! And for the architects who don't like the way they look, they have provided the excuse for some of the best building tops in the world - all of those fancy peaks and pyramids and faux Greek temples on top of NY buildings? They serve no purpose other than to mask the towers.

nik13

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:55:28 -0500

Indeed, there would be no NYC skyline without those towers. Wood is more forgiving than metal in our weather - from minus 20F in January to 100F in July. Metal would warp & break.

theloofyourlife

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:43:09 -0500

i like em and the dirty jobs featuring rosenwach's was pretty cool. :-)

matukonyc

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:20:16 -0500

Wooden towers are also more efficient. Wood has the capability of expanding and retracting, allowing for optimum water storage.

sonyactivision

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:16:17 -0500

Rosenwach's are the best. And I wish every building had them, including the Citicorp Tower.

Spiritof76

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:43:08 -0500

I like them, too. They're part of the city's fabric. NYC wouldn't look like NYC without them.

mmlanglie

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:04:41 -0500

I love 'em. From any rooftop, these water towers dot the skyline and give NYC character. At least I don't think THAT'LL be changing any time soon...

stereotypical

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:14:24 -0500

There is a pretty cool episode of Dirty Jobs where Mike helps build one of these. Its not exactly one of his most dirty jobs but it seems pretty dangerous...

thenamesdave

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:10:28 -0500

They're hideous.