No Room to Appreciate the Empire State Building
Did you know that the Empire State Building is a Fifth Avenue feature? If you didn't, it’s not your fault, the building is not properly dignified. If it were, Fifth Avenue would have a beautiful plaza right in front of it, a place you would've already visited and enjoyed if it existed, hopefully leaving a more lasting impression than the dull street now in its place. Imagine a space of recreation in the presence of such an iconic structure. Instead there's no place to stand. Wherever you stop you are quickly hushed away by the way people move in the scene. It’s not a nice place to be, right in front of the Empire State Building, there’s no opportunity to build intimacy with the monument. No wonder the retail space on the tower's street level is so unexciting, there is only a Walgreens at the time of writing.
It’s unfortunate because the facades of the building are lush with detail, like wearing elegant clothes. You look at it and every aspect is embellished and dignified — every line, corner, and frame. There's ornaments over ornaments but thoughtfully executed. Makes you think of the serifs used in typography to recognize the end of a stroke. Here every aspect is dignified, like placing serifs on serifs, but there's no space to stop and appreciate it. The building's art deco style didn't — or rather couldn't — overflow to shape the surroundings.
You might as well be on the way of a car opening its door any moment you pause to appreciate the facade. The Empire State Building was condemned by the way the city was designed, condemned to be appreciated from afar, in postcards, and by those fortunate enough to have a window view of it. The city missed such an obvious opportunity to make it beautiful! Another victim of New York's oppressive grid system.
There's a handful of spots that offer a good peek at the building. Greely Square is just a block away where Broadway meets Sixth Ave and affords a close look at the Empire State’s Western facade.
✎ Connection to
Key / The Prevention of Misery and Tragedy