Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The 'island' of Astor Place

[Via Curbed]

Catching up with a piece from Bloomberg yesterday about the incoming 51 Astor Place.

Developer Edward Minskoff said that he is seeking between $88 and $115 a square foot — rates that approach "the highest rents for top-quality space in Midtown Manhattan, the most expensive U.S. office market, as a booming technology market fuels demand for trendier areas."

Per the article: "Office demand in New York is shifting from the glossy skyscrapers of Midtown preferred by banks to the quirkier mix of neighborhoods to its south that’s home to Chelsea warehouses, Soho galleries and the punky shops on St. Mark's Place where Joey Ramone and Madonna refined their fashion sense."

Minskoff went on to say that he "expects a company will pay for the opportunity to plant its flag in the East Village the way Google asserted its presence in Chelsea."

Per the article: "The Google building is a good building, but it’s a big factory building," he said. "It doesn't knock your socks off. Fifty-one Astor is like an island. It’s very, very visible."

And how!

So years from now we can revisit the "the quirkier mix of neighborhoods" to see how they fared during this post-Midtown boom.

We've been curious how the Death Star at 51 Astor Place will impact the surrounding area... Does the quirky have any chance for survival? For instance. What becomes of street vendors or street art on Astor Place? (Regardless of how you might feel about the street artists or street art.)

[Bobby Williams]

[Bobby Williams]


Or will the 51 Astor-Sculpture for Living glass-tower combo be too much to overcome? Will everything be crushed underfoot? Or, perhaps, 51 really will be an island safely moored off shore from the rest of the neighborhood ...


Previously on EV Grieve:
51 Astor Place demolition begins July 1; 17 months to build new black-glass tower

East Village — the new Midtown?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I rather be in Puerto Rico...

Jeremiah Moss said...

this makes me so ill. thanks again Cooper Union for bringing another culture-destroying building to our neighborhood.

nygrump said...

Whatever the outcome, residents won't be involved in the decision.

abrod said...

I, for one, would be glad to see that hipster with the bras on his head go the hell back to Williamsburg (or, preferably, his hometown in Wiscohiosota)

Anonymous said...

I need to take a shower after reading that post. I just feel coated in slime.

Laura Goggin Photography said...

Forget it. There will be no tolerance for quirky or unique unless it's ironically printed on a designer t-shirt and sold for $700 at an upscale boutique in the ground floor of this monstrosity.

Anonymous said...

They don't want to be in midtown because midtown isn't cool (and oh boy, is it not cool), so they decide to turn a cool neighborhood into midtown. Yep. Such intelligent urban planning around here. And to think I used to think a Cooper Union education was worth something...!

Crazy Eddie said...

Abe Lincoln’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave, Abe Lincoln’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave, Abe Lincoln’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave, But his soul goes marching on.

Sad.

Ken from Ken's kitchen said...

Quirky!