NYC Architecture and Development

It would make a great Pez dispenser.
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When I look at Google Earth and see New York City, it looks so massive. But when I look at metro population, it’s just 4x Boston area. But if I eye ball Boston’s urban core and think about quadrupling it, it’s still not even close to Manhattan. What am I missing? I know metro areas aren’t perfect but it’s also not that far off.
 
^ cool question but could you reframe it?

When I look at NYC I see 5x Boston Metros
1. Manhattan
2. Bronx-Yonkers-White Plains
3. Brooklyn-JFK(South Queens)
4. Queens-Jamaica-Nassau
5. Hoboken-Newark
 
Paletexan said:
When I look at Google Earth and see New York City, it looks so massive. But when I look at metro population, it’s just 4x Boston area. But if I eye ball Boston’s urban core and think about quadrupling it, it’s still not even close to Manhattan. What am I missing? I know metro areas aren’t perfect but it’s also not that far off.
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Likely density. If you walk around Manhattan, you'll realize the shortest structure on each block is probably something like 10 stories.



In addition, every single family house, on average, likely occupies a smaller area than those you see in Boston
 
Sorry for the enormous blank spaces in my post. Archboston is glitching out on mobile
 
KentXie said:
Likely density. If you walk around Manhattan, you'll realize the shortest structure on each block is probably something like 10 stories.



In addition, every single family house, on average, likely occupies a smaller area than those you see in Boston
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I thought so as well but Boston Metro is 4,500 square miles whereas New York Metro is 4,669.0 square miles according to Wikipedia. My guess was more people commute in from beyond that metro area definition for work using commuter trains / rail supporting all the commercial development. But if I look at CSA populations between two areas, NY is less at 3x population of Boston. So I have no idea
 
Today I learned what a "pulvinated corner" on stonework is and generally nerded out crenellations and bel étage and other stuff architects know the names of but I call doo-dads:
NYC’s Upper East Side Explored & Explained | Walking Tour | Architectural Digest
 
New IBX study just dropped.

Light rail has become the preferred alternative.
I'm happy they didn't go with the bus concept but I have 3 major worries:
1)This seems to be a completely different system not within the current subway or regional rail fair systems. Will we have to pay an extra fare to ride whatever this thing becomes? Will it become another Airtrain fair fiasco?
2) With light rail there is no other equivalent anywhere else on the system (except maybe the light rail in jersey but I don't even know if they are built to the same specs) If an issue arises on the IBX, particularly since it is only 2 tracks, the trains can not be rerouted since there is no where else to route these kinds of trains. One small train issue and the entire line grinds to a halt.
3) there is no planned station at Broadway Junction!? You will have to get off at Atlantic Ave, walk out of system 2 or 3 blocks, then reenter at Broadway Junction. Knowing anything about the MTA this will not be a free transfer.
 
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found5dollar said:
New IBX study just dropped.

Light rail has become the preferred alternative.
I'm happy they didn't go with the bus concept but I have 3 major worries:
1)This seems to be a completely different system not within the current subway or regional rail fair systems. Will we have to pay an extra fare to ride whatever this thing becomes? Will it become another Airtrain fair fiasco?
2) With light rail there is no other equivalent anywhere else on the system (except maybe the light rail in jersey but I don't even know if they are built to the same specs) If an issue arises on the IBX, particularly since it is only 2 tracks, the trains can not be rerouted since there is no where else to route these kinds of trains. One small train issue and the entire line grinds to a halt.
3) there is no planned station at Broadway Junction!? You will have to get off at Atlantic Ave, walk out of system 2 or 3 blocks, then reenter at Broadway Junction. Knowing anything about the MTA this will not be a free transfer.
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  1. I'm not sure where you're getting that it's a completely different fare system. They just talk about it being a different vehicle class than the MTA currently operates which requires new maintenance faculties, storage, personnel, etc. In the alternative analysis summary on page 22 they even mention "free in-system transfer".
  2. Most LRT systems are two-tracked including the one right across the harbor in NJ. Why wouldn't it work here?
  3. If you look at the map, the station named Atlantic Ave lists connections to ACJZL & LIRR trains, so this effectively is the Broadway Junction transfer.
 
This is a huge win for nyc if built. Sure it definitely could have been better if it was heavy rail, but the best system is the one that gets built. Were starting to (finally) see many of the major cities moving toward a multi polar core model where instead of just having one large downtown/financial district surrounded by housing and served by subway/commuter rail, were now moving towards many different smaller downtowns scattered around the city served more by their immediate neighborhoods along with regional rail that will operate at high frequencies all day.

In nyc in the last 10 years youve really seen brooklyn, long island city, jersey city, journal square, hunters point, williamsburg, the bronx waterfront, and recently jamaica all growing exponentially. Adding this circuitous transit line will really allow the integration of many of these areas, and allow interborough commuting and working like never before.

Hopefully the success of this line leads to some of the other circle lines in other cities finally being built, once they have a successful model to point to. Chicago had planned a similar line to the ibx but it was never deemed important enough to really push to get it done. Seattle had proposed its center city connector to connect both of its street cars in a circular route around downtown, but it hasnt moved forward. If this line is successful it could finally be the catalyst for changing the way people see transit in the us. Many cities around the world benefit from the connections that circle lines bring, hopefully once people are able to experience it themselves in the us it will catch on.
 
New York is so big that even when they have isolated fleets they buy at “whole system” scale, particularly if they can buy off-the-shelf world-standard light rail

Still, it seems like a false economy to not build something that could interoperate with the legacy Subway lines or LIRR/MNRR
 
LA has been relatively successful as of the last 2 decades combining heavy and rail rail systems into an expanded and comprehensive interconnected metro system. If LA can do it surely NYC will have no issues with ridership and connections.

The IBX proposal somehow mirrors the Purple Line expansion in Maryland which will service the DC bedroom suburbs/cities while connecting to the existing heavy rail metro.
 
So cool to see this area get further developed. However, it is not exactly the most appealing area with the Harlem River on one side and the Major Deegan on the other.
 
Went to NYC for the weekend to enjoy a change of scenery. First time visiting Hudson Yards and Pier 54. The High Line continues to amaze. Manhattan has installed a lot of high quality bike infrastructure and bikes, especially e-bikes, are everywhere. Booked a few weeks in advance and was able to buy tix on the NE Regional for $31 each way. Quite the deal!
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50% of the recently proposed large skyscrapers in Manhattan are pretty nice, but the other half of upside down stacked boxes, messy open drawer designs are just hideous. Slap a theme park ride on top for good measure.
My personal favorite u/c is the Brooklyn Tower, just elegant.
 
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