THE NEWNESS OF NEW YORK CITY.

The Newness of New York City.

Skyscrapers will continue to be built in New York City, no matter what, and better still, stronger and modern ones will find their way to replace even one such as "the signature of New York", a.k.a. The Empire State Building.


Just like the twin towers of the erstwhile World Trade Center, which demonstrated the newest type of architecture and technology, and gave a new cultural meaning, not just to lower Manhattan, but the whole city and its surrounding areas; we the concerned citizenry will want more of them.


Visitors and tourists came in droves to savor the newness of a growing metropolis; they were attracted to the magnetism of those magnificent and massive tall buildings, which made the tourism industry expand. Thus contibuting, by a large measure, to the thriving economy of New York City in the 80s and 90s.


Mayors Koch, Dinkins and Giuliani, all deserving and gaining credit for remodelling and modernizing the Times Square area and driving out the "squeegee car window cleaners" and Grand Central Station squatters, were part of the strategy to get people to come to the city; nevertheless, the skyline was the main attraction.


A new building is now being planned in place of the aging Hotel Pennsylvania, and somehow, Mr. Anthony Malkin, part owner of the ESB is fighting to stop its erection. "The Empire State Building is the iconic image of New York City's skyline.", he says.


That will mean that no other skyscraper must be built closer to it. That is sheer nonsense. We all know that, like any city, New York will continue to develop. He, therefore, cannot hamper the progress of the city.


On the other hand, the President of Vornado's New York Office Division of the company, which is proposing the new building, is also up in arms, and saying that, "The fact is that New York's skyline has never stopped changing, and one hopes it never will."
From that point of view, his statement must be regarded as the right one to which many New Yorkers can relate and connect with.

Over to you, New York City Council.