Tom Clark’s Lower East Side apartment used to offer a breathtaking views of the Empire State Building.
“I can see it from my couch,” he told the Guardian. “But now, that privilege has been snatched away, all thanks to the looming presence of the ultra-thin luxury tower, 262 Fifth Avenue.”
Standing at a staggering 860 feet, this residential tower, which remains under construction at that address, has become an unwanted obstruction for many New Yorkers, including Clark.
“It really pisses me off,” he said, standing near the Flatiron Building in Nomad — a corridor that long offered prime views of the city landmark, whose presence is famed around the world. “The whole New York skyline has been destroyed … These new buildings have no identity, no design to them. We’ve lost the character of New York, and it breaks my heart.”
More than 4 million visitors annually used to revel in the sight of the Empire State Building, but now, due to the encroaching tower, that joy has been marred.
A TikToker known as @dr.tpanova, in a post that garnered 1.2 million views, lamented the loss of the iconic view, echoing the sentiments of many New Yorkers.
“Walking up Fifth Avenue while marveling at this emblematic building [the Empire State] and ending up on Madison Square where you could sit and have coffee while watching it shining in the distance used to be one of the great pleasures of being in Manhattan,” the user said in the video.
A local named Nem Fisher shared the same sentiment with the outlet.
“People go to school to be architects, so why are we just chucking up cylindrical blocks?” she asked. “They’re not concerned about the beauty of the city.”
The presence of the new tower is even rankling visitors.
Sandra Leite, a tourist from Portugal, expressed disbelief upon learning about the blocked view. “Why would city hall approve something like that?” she asked The Guardian. “But now it’s up there, and nothing can be done.”
Tom Fields, a seasoned New Yorker, echoed Leite’s sentiments. “It just doesn’t add anything,” he remarked, while reading in Madison Square Park.
“I don’t like the one in front of the Empire State, and I don’t like the tall buildings south of the park that are blocking my sun right now. I just don’t like seeing them.”
But not everyone is perturbed by the changing skyline.
Dennis Pangindian, a local, shrugged off the controversy, stating, “Something is going to be built somewhere, it’s just not surprising to me.”
While some view these towers as symbols of progress, others see them as monuments to the ever-widening wealth gap.
Caroline Owen, a tourist from Toronto, however, saw the towers as a sign of “progress.”
“Over time, the consideration of the aesthetic might change,” she added. “Think of the Louvre and the pyramid there. Everyone said it was a travesty at first, an affront to history, and now you just accept it for what it is.”
Real Estate – Latest NYC, US & Celebrity News
