4 ms·

Yes, Hell's Kitchen is nowadays quite nice and it has an impact on the 7th/8th Ave corridor. The stretch of 7th/8th adjacent to Hell's Kitchen is noticeably nic

Yes, Hell's Kitchen is nowadays quite nice and it has an impact on the 7th/8th Ave corridor. The stretch of 7th/8th adjacent to Hell's Kitchen is noticeably nicer than the more southern stretches from 23rd thru 42nd. The lack of development west of those areas is definitely a major issue. My main beef with Hudson Yards is that it fails to follow the Manhattan grid, and favors massive complexes with idyllic parks and public spaces between buildings, rather than streets. This is the same fatally flawed planning that has created innumerable empty concrete plazas around the country - that whole area will be defined by the desertedness of its public spaces. Ultimately the best public space are the streets were life and commerce happens, not isolated courtyards between skyscrapers.

ghaff 10y ago
>This is the same fatally flawed planning that has created innumerable empty concrete plazas around the country - that whole area will be defined by the desertedness of its public spaces. I don't disagree with your general point. Boston has one of the worst examples around City Hall (which the city is finally trying to do something about). That said, probably because of its density, much of Manhattan doesn't seem to suffer from empty pocket parks and plazas--at least in nicer weather--to the degree that other cities may. I wonder if the High Line will also help with respect to Hudson Yards specifically although I haven't really taken a close look at the plans.