New York s Transformation its Future

New York, the city that never sleeps, is one of the busiest urban centers in the world. But did you know that just four centuries ago, it was a small village with a population of only 700 people? Since then, New York has brought up some of the world's most iconic monuments and architectural landmarks. And in the next few years, the city will see the rise of new impressive megaprojects, including a new second-tallest skyscraper in the city and the construction of new buildings at Hudson Yards, Essex Crossing, and the World Trade Center site. Before we continue, if you want to support our content, make sure to check out our own canvas shop at city-pixels.com. Let us know in the comments below which cities you would like to see on our high-quality canvases. The island of Manhattan was discovered by European explorer Henry Hudson in 1609. However, the city's rapid transformation started over 160 years later after the American Independence Movement. New York's close proximity with waterways and high terrain made it the perfect location for an urban center. In 1815, it was already the most populous city in the United States, and its economic supremacy was further strengthened in 1825 when the Erie Canal, a waterway connecting New York with the interior continent, was opened for trade. In the following years, the city became the gateway to America and its population skyrocketed with people from all parts of the world settling in the city. New York's economic engine reached top speed after the Civil War. Along with the thriving economy came a building boom, starting with the famous Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening and connected the independent territories of Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the midst of the post-Civil War economic rise, New York received a gift from France, a sculpture to commemorate the recent abolition of slavery. Built in France and shipped overseas in crates, the Statue of Liberty was finally erected in 1886, standing as an icon of freedom at the shores of the first megacity in the world. The Brooklyn Bridge's completion was followed by a succession of modern high-rise buildings in New York. The first skyscraper to break the 100-meter height barrier was the 106-meter tall Manhattan Life Insurance Building. The construction boom starting with the Brooklyn Bridge didn't ever stop, and the city kept turning into a concrete jungle. High-rise buildings were popping up all over Manhattan, and by 1930 New York was home to another architectural landmark, the Empire State Building. It soared 443 meters into the New York skies to become the tallest skyscraper in the world, retaining that title for over 40 years. The Empire State Building to this day remains one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Amid the sprawling skyscrapers, one cultural icon kept its place and even rose in significance. Central Park spreads over an area of 843 acres and serves quite literally as a breath of fresh air in Upper Manhattan. Covered in green landscapes, the park attracts over 42 million visitors every year and has become a blueprint for urban parks all over the world. New York's transformation into the world's most influential metropolis is completed by Wall Street, the This eight-block-long street in the financial district of Lower Manhattan is both the symbol and the geographical heart of American capitalism. Home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization, Wall Street has gone on to dictate markets all over the world. Over the past few centuries, New York has evolved into a commercial, financial, and cultural giant. And today, after the phase of rapid growth, the skyline is giving way to modern and futuristic buildings like the recently completed One Vanderbilt. Opened in 2020, it was described as a rarity, a civic-minded Goliath. We recently also saw the completion of residential high-rises like the Central Park Tower and 111 West 57th Street. Both skyscrapers rose over 400 meters into the sky, taking the second and third place respectively on the list of New York's tallest buildings. The coronavirus pandemic slowed the construction industry of New York. However, there are still several impressive projects that will rise in the near future. One of these projects is the construction work on the original World Trade Center site. Plans for a 403-meter skyscraper to replace the two World Trade Center are currently not in sight. But there are two other projects closer to completion at the World Trade Center Complex. One of them is the Performing Arts Center, which is set to open in 2023. The interior is split into three levels. Street level will house a restaurant and also act as a bar during intermissions. The second level will consist of rehearsal and dressing rooms for theater actors. And the third floor will house three theaters. The design allows for the walls to rotate and expand to provide extra space for a single theater if needed. The theaters can hold up to 1,200 people at a time. Dubbed a house of creativity, it will premiere works of theater, dance, music, film, and opera, transforming Lower Manhattan into a vibrant global cultural heart. Adjacent to the 9-11 Memorial will stand the second project on this site, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The church was completely destroyed in the collapse of the World Trade Center Tower 2 and is now being rebuilt. The structure will be built on a four-foot-thick concrete mat, giving it a slightly raised position in relation to the World Trade Center Memorial site. Further down the road, there are plans for a futuristic skyscraper, the Tower 5th, which will become a major attraction for Midtown Manhattan. The tower is wrapped in an innovative, energy-efficient closed-cavity facade system, reducing solar heat gain by more than 70%. It will be the first deployment of this type in North America. The construction on the 474-meter proposed tower will start in 2022, with an estimated completion date set in 2025. If completed as planned, Tower 5th will become New York's second tallest skyscraper and the tallest building in the city by floor height. New York's leap into the future will be accompanied by several other residential and transit megaprojects. The most notable transit project tipped to make a difference in the city is the 2nd Avenue Subway. The subway was first proposed in 1919 when traffic congestion was already a problem for an expanding New York. However, the Great Depression and the World War meant that the funds dried up and the project never really materialized. The plans for the transit project were drawn up once again in 2006, and finally, almost a century later, the first phase of the project opened amid huge fanfare in 2017. Plans for a second phase were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are set for resumption in 2022. Once completed, the full twin track would extend to 13.7 kilometers and serve half a million riders every day. Another megaproject set to reshape New York is the Hudson Yard Megadevelopment. Extending over 28 acres along the Hudson River, it is the largest private real estate venture in American history. The $25 billion development will be home to some of the most amazing works of architecture in the world. The site already houses four super tall skyscrapers and a $500 million city-sponsored art center. The art center, called The Shed, supports an unprecedented movable structure that adapts to all kinds of creative work under one roof. The construction on the second phase of Hudson Yards has not started as of 2020. However, it is tipped for completion in 2024 and will include residential space, office buildings, and completion of pending skyscrapers at 50 Hudson Yards and Manhattan West. New York's rapid transformation has also created a few hiccups along the way. As a natural byproduct of being the economic center of the world's largest economy, the population of the New York metropolitan area has swelled to 20 million, and one of the biggest challenges ahead is providing affordable housing. Developments like Pacific Parks, Hunter's Point South, and Willett's Point in Queens will add many affordable housing units to the city over the coming decades. However, the most notable of all is Essex Crossing, an under-construction mixed-use development in New York's Lower East Side that will add multiple hundred units of permanently affordable housing for low-, moderate-, and middle-income households. The billion-dollar project, sitting on a total of nine city blocks, will be completed by 2024. New York has come a long way from the sparsely populated town occupied by Dutch families in the early 1600s. The city's rise has been incredible, and with so many incredible megaprojects on the horizon, New York is set to maintain its lofty standards for foreseeable future. Have you ever been to New York? Let us know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, make sure to visit city-pixels.com and subscribe to Top Luxury. Thank you for watching, and we'll see you in the next video.