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New York, New York
And your earth moves beneath your own dream landscape
I was lucky enough to secure a ticket to go on a tour (through Open House New York) of Cass Gilbert's landmark Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan. The tour started in the closed-to-the-public lobby and hit most of the building's highlights including the creepy and abandoned underground swimming pool and a walk outside on the 40th floor terrace on a rainy night. Along the way we were told many bizarre facts about the totally bizarre tower, including how the 42nd floor is only 5'-6" high (just like floor 7-1/2 in "Being John Malkovich"), how the floor slabs are 2 feet thick and full of gravel and all about an actually tested system that would quickly fill the elevator shafts with air in order to prevent the elevator cab from plunging to the bottom.
Did someone mention a creepy and abandoned underground swimming pool? Here in the basement, or sub basement, or possibly sub sub basement, well below that absolutely spectacular lobby, the Woolworth Building feels more like the set of a low grade horror film than msot anything else.
It was a cold and rainy November night, but (like everyone else) I had no problem at all climbing through a window to escape the creepy and abandoned underground swimming pool and see the Woolworth Building terrace for myself. Of course it would have been nice to see the once in a lifetime view, but I guess that will now have to wait for another lifetime and (hopefully) a less rainy night.
A few pictures from a rare mid afternoon weekday visit in the big (and still pretty damn hot) city, specifically to see the just opened second section of Diller, Scofidio + Renfro's High Line Park in New York. The second section is nice and far quieter (design wise) than the splashier and more fun first section, although the new woodland flyover (when the path goes airborne over an "original section" of the high line) is actually kind of fun. Also fun is that Neil Denari residential tower at 23rd Street, a building which absolutely dominates that part of this new section of the park.
Right next to the new section of the High Line is Rainbow City, a temporary art installation by FriendsWithYou, a blow up adult sized playground that is worth seeing but somehow not quite as much fun as I had hoped.
Inside and outside of the (still) brand new and unfortunately uninspiring New Meadowlands Stadium, or MetLife Stadium as we’re now supposed to call it. The outside is the outside, but the inside picture might just show what it was like to be there at a sold out Argentina vs Brazil soccer game. Sure there were plenty of Brazil fans around, but I was unwittingly within a wide swath of Argentinians, people who left happy after Lionel Messi scored 3 goals in a really fun come from behind 4-3 win.
From a close game at New Meadowlands Stadium, or MetLife Stadium as we’re now supposed to call it, we’re going to a far smaller venue and the 2011 MLS All Star Game at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. By far smaller I mean far smaller, the seating capacity is less than a third the size of MetLife, but luckily that intimacy does mean that the seats are closer and its actually a much better place to see a game.
The MLS All Star Game featured the MLS All Stars playing the far more organized and cohesive (and just downright better) team from Manchester United, who easily won in a 4-0 unexciting game. The MLS All Stars, including David Beckham, Landon Dononvan and Thierry Henry, were there to have fun, and casually talked among each other before the game, while Manchester United, including Wayne Rooney, worked together on well choreographed stretching and practice routines. And the crowd just seemed excited to be outside and at a game, no one seemed too disappointed that the MLS All Stars lost, perhaps even the actual MLS All Stars felt the same way too.
Citi Field has been open a few years now, and I’m still trying to understand all of the ways its better than Shea Stadium. The old stadium was harsh and utilitarian, but had a certain harsh and utilitarian charm. Citi Field by contrast is just kind of charming on its own, but always seems too complicated and hard to understand. There are so many clubs and entrances and some tickets come with access to some but not the other, and even though the food is better than Shea, is it better to get club food or just go out on your own? So many questions.
Meanwhile here is the view from pretty good club seats (don’t ask me which club) on the summer solstice, both the longest day of the year for everyone and one of the longest days of the year for Mets fans, who watched their team lose 7-3 to the Oakland A’s.
