How We Subsidize Greedy Developers
Below are some pictures of a building going up in Fort Greene:
is there anything remotely attractive about this building? No. Does it fit into the neighborhood? no. It's out of scale, blandly designed, casts shadows, and taxes infrastructure....Besides the 'amentities' how does the developer sell it? By pointing out that its' in a charming neighborhood of brownstones, historic buildings, and parks:
Of course this big, ugly, out of scale building detracts from all of those things, the same way it would detract from the charm of a say, a Cotswold village. If the developer chose to build a smaller building with better aesthetics, one could say it added something to the neighborhood - but that would get in the way of profit. Thus the developer is able to profit off of the charm of the neighborhood while at the same time, contributes to its long term detriment. Do they care? Of course not, because they can make their money and not have to live with the consequences. And the Mayor and current elite specifically award such behavior and thinking.
Does anyone, anywhere, think the rows and rows of faceless steel and glass boxes on, say the Upper east side are in the least bit attractive. If more of the city becomes like that, does it become a better place?
No. But ideas like that are 'long term thinking' that don't' immediately contribute to increased tax revenue and developer profit, so why give a damn?
3 comments:
good morning:
I hate buildings like that in Brooklyn,if you want to live in a place like that you live in Manhattan.
And the construction process is an absolute killer.
When I moved here I had the view of the trees from the Greenwood Cementery while working,now I have an ugly square building instead,and all the pollution coming from that costruction and other like 5 others at the same time in a 5 block perimeter,made me get respiratory allergies that I never had in my life (thanks God for my ashtanga yoga).
changing the subject, could you please tell me what it means "jaadu hai nasha hai" is such a beautiful song! if you have the chance anytime to translate it for me I'll be really glad.
thank you
Oh my, you have much more confidence in my knowledge of Hindi than I. I can pick up a few words & phrases, but I find most translations by googling.
http://www.bollywoodlyrics.com
has some.
Green-Wood is beautiful. My grandparents are buried there.
well,after our Friday trip on that train, with the chai,the general talking about arranged marriage,the beautiful landscape and our interesting conversation, I asume you were a writer or a journnalist traveling India long time ago ;).
Yes,Greenwood is so peaceful,I live very close and it was so beautiful to see the sunsets with those trees! anyway at least I feel lucky I don't live in one of those buildings you have only windows on the front and the back and that's it.(my side of the building is not like that)and I am still able to enjoy the red sun every afternoon from almost every window of my little kingdom :)
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