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I work at WTC and this is exactly how I feel about the area under the Oculus connecting the Brookfield Mall. It's like a scene out of Gattaca, a massive dizzyli

I work at WTC and this is exactly how I feel about the area under the Oculus connecting the Brookfield Mall. It's like a scene out of Gattaca, a massive dizzyling underground mall/complex with no natural light filled with luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at. Everyone walks through in a daze, seemingly impressed by the magnitude of the cavern but at the same I can't help to think they feel as equally empty and drained by it as me. Developments like Hudson Yards seem to be cargo culturing culture. If we build a public arts space, offices, restaurants, shops, and a playground then surely people will arrive, right?! Feels very weird.

walterbell 8y ago
> luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at 3D walk-in billboards.
- caprese 8y ago
  Exactly, I think of them as exhibits. I've looked at brick and mortar as museums for a long time and I'm not the only one. My wonderment and praise for the gallery curator shattered by the clerk trying to upsell me on a store credit card or data mining loyalty program. "Why are you talking?" Must be the quizzical expression my face makes as I take slightly too long to reply. For actually purchasing something going into a retail store is basically a game of "how is the sales person going to lie to me today". It should come with a laugh track streamed live on twitch.
crazygringo 8y ago
> with no natural light I mean, I agree with you a lot, but the Oculus itself is tons of natural light, it's all soaring windows: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQvDMR-aOZc/maxresdefault.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQvDMR-aOZc/maxresdefault.jpg The above-ground Oculus structure is beautiful and inspiring in a way little architecture in that part of the city is.
atombender 8y ago
> filled with luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at This [1] Reddit thread from the other day was interesting reading. Those empty luxury shops are definitely to a large extent ads for high-end companies who just want to have a New York presence. Same thing on 5th avenue and in airports. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/b2n7y6/people_that_work_retail_at_the_oculus/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/b2n7y6/people_that_...

walterbell 8y ago

> luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at 3D walk-in billboards.

caprese 8y ago
Exactly, I think of them as exhibits. I've looked at brick and mortar as museums for a long time and I'm not the only one. My wonderment and praise for the gallery curator shattered by the clerk trying to upsell me on a store credit card or data mining loyalty program. "Why are you talking?" Must be the quizzical expression my face makes as I take slightly too long to reply. For actually purchasing something going into a retail store is basically a game of "how is the sales person going to lie to me today". It should come with a laugh track streamed live on twitch.

crazygringo 8y ago

> with no natural light I mean, I agree with you a lot, but the Oculus itself is tons of natural light, it's all soaring windows: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQvDMR-aOZc/maxresdefault.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQvDMR-aOZc/maxresdefault.jpg The above-ground Oculus structure is beautiful and inspiring in a way little architecture in that part of the city is.

atombender 8y ago

> filled with luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at This [1] Reddit thread from the other day was interesting reading. Those empty luxury shops are definitely to a large extent ads for high-end companies who just want to have a New York presence. Same thing on 5th avenue and in airports. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/b2n7y6/people_that_work_retail_at_the_oculus/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/b2n7y6/people_that_...