Hudson Yards is New York City’s biggest private construction project
Rockefeller Center was built at the height of the Great Depression, and, at one point, was the single biggest employer in New York City after the government. It reshaped the heart of midtown Manhattan, creating a stylistically unified, multiuse complex that was — and remains — a breathtaking architectural achievement.
Fast-forward nearly a century, and another ambitious developer is expressing himself in a multiblock fashion. I’m speaking of Stephen Ross of Related Companies, the force behind Hudson Yards. This massive development will plop skyscrapers atop 27 acres worth of platforms built over Pennsylvania Station’s working rail yards. That makes it the largest private real estate development in U.S. history.
Since this will be one of Gotham’s biggest tourist attractions once it opens (the Eastern Yard is slated to debut March 15), I took a hardhat tour of the construction site to suss it out.
Here’s what visitors will experience in the coming months and years:
Hair-raising views: Hudson Yards will have the tallest observation platform in the Western Hemisphere, set some 100 stories above the ground. To make the experience even more electrifying, the platform will be almost entirely fashioned from glass, meaning straight-down views and an angled glass wall as the only barrier between the viewer and open space. The opening date for the platform has not yet been announced.
The Vessel: As Taylor Swift famously opined: “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.” No part of the Hudson Yards elicited quite so much derision when the renderings were made public as this massive, interactive statue. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, it’s covered by copper-coloured stainless steel, is either basket- or pineapple-shaped (depending on your Freudian disposition), and is made up of 154 sets of stairs that interlink in a complex fashion. For the Fitbit set, that makes almost 2,500 individual steps (though there is an elevator to the top, as well). I was ready to dislike it, too, but it takes on a certain kooky majesty in person. Yes, its gold skin is a little too “Austin Powers”-ish, but its interlocking weave, done on such a massive scale, compels and holds the gaze. It will open March 15, 2019.
Art: Everywhere: Hudson Yards will be home to a whiz-bang indoor/outdoor arts centre called The Shed, which will host performances of all sorts as well as visual arts exhibits. Though the building is the size of the average grammar school, it’s on wheels, so that it can be nested into the tower next to it when outdoor space is needed. In addition, there will be a number of artworks, specially commissioned for the complex, both outdoors and in. The centre’s mall also will have dedicated art gallery space. Opening March 15, 2019.
Multifaceted architecture: Unlike Rockefeller Center, the developers hired a slew of different architectural firms to create the skyscrapers here, so each has its own unique profile. Whether this is a hit or a miss remains to be seen, as most of the buildings won’t be completed until 2020 or later.
Places for you to spend, and
then spend some more: Just behind The Vessel will be a sevenstory mall, bringing Neiman Marcus and luxe Dallas boutique Forty Five Ten to NYC for the first time. In addition, there will be the same-old, same-old chain stores (Banana Republic, Aritzia, Zara) and a collection of signature restaurants helmed by a list of food stars that reads like the cast list for “Top Chef.” They include Thomas Keller (Per Se and the French Laundary) and David Chang (the Momofuku restaurants).
Happily, just a few years ago, New York City opened a new subway stop at 34th Street and 10th Avenue, which will make it convenient for visitors to try out this new complex. After visiting its “bones” on my recent press tour, I think Hudson Yards soon will be at the top of most NYC tourists’ must-visit lists.
Note to the reader: Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. The information in this column was accurate when it was released, but prices are competitive, sometimes limited and can always change without notice.
Pauline Frommer is the Editorial Director for the Frommer Travel Guides and Frommers. com. She co-hosts the radio program The Travel Show with her father, Arthur Frommer and is the author of the best-selling Frommer’s EasyGuide to New York City.