New York, New York. It's a hell of a town. And while there seems to be some sort of weird rivalry between NYC and L.A. (or NYC and everywhere else), I like it!
Both of today's photos are from the 1950's. I have no idea where this first picture was snapped from, but I love the way the buildings just get more and more massive until you have the crown jewel… the Empire State Building. It hardly looks real. Notice the remains of some older raised roadway, along with the newer version just beyond it.
In 1952, the headquarters for the United Nations was built along the East River. The design was a combination of concepts by architects Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier. I can't help thinking of Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film, "North by Northwest", in which Cary Grant is frame for MOIDER! There has been talk of moving the headquarter elsewhere (either to another location in New York City, or to another country altogether), although there are also plans to renovate and expand this iconic site.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to New York!
Ahhh... We love the Big Apple. I've always thought the design of the UN Headquarters was light years ahead of typical commercial building design of its day. It still seems way ahead of its time, even now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major.
Like you said, the first photo almost seems like it isn't real. Feels sorta like a miniature model set for a movie, something Hitchcock might have shot.
ReplyDeleteI loved the whole UN complex when I visited in Summer 2001. It was one of the things I enjoyed most. I actually looked for and found the interior shot for Hitchcock's North by Northwest. The whole place (inside and out) is absolutely beautiful in design.
ReplyDeleteNanook, the UN building looks futuristic, and yet still so much from when it was built. I love it.
ReplyDeleteSnow White Archive, I like the idea of looking at that first photo as if it was a miniature!
K. Martinez, I've never been to the UN, partly because I don't know what there is to see there. If you say it's interesting, maybe I have to make a point of going the next time I'm in NYC.