57th St Between 7th Ave and 8th Ave
So, these photos were actually shot back in August, which explains the green trees and lack of snow. This area of town is a big hodgepodge of different styles, and every fly-by-night business seems to piggyback their name on the proximity to Carnegie Hall. With the famous venue sitting stoically on the corner of 7th Avenue, the rest of the block isn't nearly as noteworthy.
Several art-related institutions call this block home, including the Art Student's League of New York, Lee's Art Shop and the American Fine Arts Society. Otherwise, it's a rather typical midtown block lined with over-priced diners (last time I was in Brooklyn Diner, they had a $10 minimum per-person) and forgettable buildings.
After crossing Broadway you can catch a few glimpses of the recently-completed (2006) Hearst Tower, which to me is one of the less offensive modern skyscrapers in the area.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 8:00AM
Reader Comments (1)
What's your take on the Hearst building by night? When I look at it by day, I too find it relatively inoffensive (although I don't dig the way it protrudes from an older building's base; I think it'd work better as a standalone), but by night I find it absolutely hideous. Any intriguing aspect of the geometry is completely lost once it's illuminated by office lights within, I think.