A storefront at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 43rd Street (across from Grand Central) may be a window into the future of the West Side Rail Yards. The MTA unveiled an exhibition of the five proposals to redevelop the rail yards on the Far West Side of Manhattan, and the public will get a chance to see the models every day (except Thanksgiving) through December 3. And what's more, the MTA wants the...
West Side Yards Proposals On Display For Public
Kent Barwick, Municipal Art Society
Plans for a new Penn Station and Madison Square Garden at the historic Farley Post Office building remain as murky as ever. But a recent poll undertaken by the Municipal Art Society (MAS) suggests that Penn Station commuters overwhelmingly favor the prospect of a grand new train station--but they need more information. If and when the project proceeds, who will keep watch over the three mega-developers (the state-run ESDC, along with private companies Related Group and Vornado Realty Trust) to make sure the new-generation Station and Garden turn out better than the last one?
City Wants Mega Buildings on the Far West Side
Land Deal To Advance Moynihan Station Plan
It's difficult to know quite what to say about the huge transformations on the horizon for the Far West Side. That's partly because major negotiations and plans regarding the future of Madison Square Garden, the Farley Post Office, the Javits Center, the 7-train extension, and rezoning are taking place behind closed doors. Another reason is the uneven pace at which the planning proceeds-- years of plodding speculation followed by the sudden unveiling of a proposal, and merely a few months for public review before the deal is sealed.
A View of Jane Jacobs from her Own Backyard
Galas make us kind of nervous, but we attended this week's Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation dinner at Balthazar honoring the work and life of Jane Jacobs to hear what more could be said about the revered author and activist.
How Much Does the Villager Rock? Let Us Count the Ways
Have we mentioned that we love the Villager? No? Because really, we do. Maybe because it's the paper for the 'hood in which we grew up, though we doubt it, but regularly we're struck by what a good job the folks over there are doing covering an area in which more seems to happen in a single day than happens in some cities in a year.
Commission to Stadium - 'Fuggedaboutit!'
Officials from the city and the from Jets, however, maintain that the stadium will help develop the West Side. Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff called the RPA plan "flawed" and "a halfhearted recipe that will not produce significant change on the West Side." There's nothing quite like a debate over land use.
Manhattan Apartment Shortage
According to New York magazine, the Far West Side is the hot new area to live, if you want high design at high prices. We just want the High Line, as seen by tien mao.
Jets on the West Side
Previously on Gothamist
We're working on a new layout as well some a new feature – Gothamist Forums. And the week in full.
Far West Side Development Plans
- A boulevard between 10th and 11th Avenues up to 39th Street, with more fountains, cafes, and promenades.

