Lack of originality in NYC's buildings

nothing to see here, move along please.

98.54 (out of 100) on the Rufusometer title scan

I understand that Donald Trump's tacky tower in Chicago is going bankrupt. Apparently, it was to be topped off with his toupee, to give starlings a place to rest.

stevejhx, the trump tower in Chicago is not going bankrupt.

What's great about Chicago is that the condos in a given area all look different and unique. It's not like NYC where all the buildings in an area have the exact same design.

No, steve, the starlings would have refused to rest on such a tacky edifice. They would have moved the hairs one at a time to build nests in nicer locations.

Listening to Rufus try and critique architecture is the equivalent of having John Gotti try to explain ethics.

Sizzlack, go and take a look at battery park city and get back to me. The residential buildings are indistinguishable from each other.

rufus, how could you know what they look? looking on the web? You don't live here. All of your posts originate from an IP address originating in the Midwest, not New York. I knew you didn't live in NY when you answered that you "live in the upper west side". NYers would say I live "on the Upper West Side". So, some research and your IP address revealed originating not in this time zone but central time zone.

Gee, how did I know who started this?

Every message board has their trolls I guess

rufus, I surrender! You finally convinced me to move to Chicago. Can you please stay to the Chicago boards and I'll see you there? Don't give me any links, I'll find it myself and please wait there indefinitely. Okay? I'll let you know when I'm finally in Chicago. In the meantime, I'd like you to go back to the Chicago boards, bask over there and stay away from here. If I still see you here boasting about Chicago, I may change my mind. Deal?

I raise a legitimate point about the state of NYC architecture, but you guys are unable to address it because you know I'm right.

Cracker Boy, you're not right -- you're gauche.

I said you convinced me I'm finally moving to Chicago, so can you please stay in the Chicago boards now? I realized it's pointless to argue with you. I'd rather suffer living in Chicago physically than suffer mentally from your nonsense. Just a quick advice: You annoy people long enough, and people will just agree with you so you'll just shut up. Believe me, it will be a hollow victory.

Cracker Boy, discuss:
"cohesive architectural style"
and
"what hedge fund did you work at"
"which way does 7th Avenue traffic run"
"name a few food shops on the Upper West Side"
"why are you so hell-bent on moving to a neighborhood near Boystown?"

i've never loved the architecture of nyc to be honest. the first time i came i was kind of disappointed, i liked some buildings here and there, but they don't make a cohesive landscape like paris (my favorite city!) or other cities. i like to live in the city for other reasons though.

Please stop feeding the troll

uf, sorry

admin, I agree with everything you said. The architecture in NYC is extremely mediocre and unattractive.

but you DON"T live here.

Cracker Boy, where do you live?

notice he doesn't answer any question that only residents would know?
he may be able to look up certain things online, but couldn't answer:
1. what color are "NO STANDING ANYTIME" DOT signs?
2. how would a street sign at the corner of 1st Avenue and 32nd Street be labeled?
3. What is the local grocery store where you live?

if he answers any questions with delays, he is trying to look them up. He doesn't live here. He lives in the Midwest and just gets off on NY bashing, because like all Chicagoans he hates the fact that Chicago is withering away but NY remains strong.

tick tick tick tick . . .

I think his silence speaks volumes.

He 100% DOES NOT LIVE IN NEW YORK.

It's amazing that every time I bring up a topic involving NYC real estate and architecture that is remotely critical of the city, I am accused of not living here.

nointerest, I take it that you're a master hacker who is able to identify people's locations? LOL! Get a grip dude.

Most people love NYC for a variety of reasons, not just architecture. Do I think that the townhouses in Greenwich Village are as quaint as those in Old City / Society Hill in Philadelphia or as beautiful as those in Beacon Hill in Boston? No. But GV is more charming and feels like home, and it's where I choose to live.

However, if you are going to argue about cities based solely on architecture (which apparently only means modern monstrosity in rufus' rather limited mind), NYC still kicks Chicago's obese ass. Just look at the skyline of either city. Or look at any of Chicago's new residential construction and compare it to 56 Leonard (http://www.56leonardtribeca.com). NYC wins hands down.

1. what color are "NO STANDING ANYTIME" DOT signs?
2. how would a street sign at the corner of 1st Avenue and 32nd Street be labeled?
3. What is the local grocery store where you live?

if he answers any questions with delays, he is trying to look them up. He doesn't live here. He lives in the Midwest and just gets off on NY bashing, because like all Chicagoans he hates the fact that Chicago is withering away but NY remains strong.

Cracker Boy, discuss:
"cohesive architectural style"
and
"what hedge fund did you work at"
"which way does 7th Avenue traffic run"
"name a few food shops on the Upper West Side"
"why are you so hell-bent on moving to a neighborhood near Boystown?"

Not a hacker at all, but there are very easy ways to access an IP address from a publicly posted website with no security features.

Yet, you refuse to answer any common questions that NYers would see everyday. If you just admit, I live in Chicago and I don't like New York. That's why I bash NY. But you pretend to live here. You need to get a grip. You just got busted and have to deflect the pressure of you and put it on me. Psychology 101, dude. Keeping trying to look up these questions online.

People will take your criticism of NY architecture, dirty streets and Mayor seriously if you would just say up front that you don't live here.

Not one single question answered. I think after this you should give it up. You just got called out.

nointerst, i start a post on NYC's bland architecture, and not a single person has addressed my points. As a matter of fact, admin agrees with me.

Cracker Boy won't give us an honest and specific answer as to where he lives, but at least we know what he looks like. Here's a portrait of Cracker Boy:
http://yanksfansoxfan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/24/the_sad_clown.jpg

because your motivations are not to address architecture but just to bash NY. If you were up front and said "I don't live in NY, but I noticed the architecute is boring."
That might generate some interest, but instead you pretend to live here. Then bash NY and praise Chicago in the same post.
Your evading the above questions like the plague. Keep trying to look it up online, but you could have ended all the doubt 40 minutes ago. Instead, you evaded the questions. Because YOU DON'T LIVE IN NEW YORK.
That doesn't mean you can't criticize it. But it does put your motivations in a category of envy rather than criticism.

nointerest, why have you failed to address any of my points regarding the architecture? Is it because you agree with me?

Cracker Boy, why have you failed to address any of my points regarding cohesive architectural style? Is it because you agree with me?

Cohesive architectural style, at least in NYC, means that all the residential buildings in a neighborhood basically look the same. I just gave examples of battery park city, riverside in west 60's and upper east side east of lexington.

What do you call the Upper East Side east of Lexington?

rufus, do you have any examples of these fabulous Chicago buildings to compare against? General statements without examples don't really go very far.

East of lexington below 80th is lennox hill. Between 80th and 96th it's yorkville.

I've posted pics and links to these condos. And I only received personal attacks because you guys realized how much nicer they were than NYC.

Notice how he can quickly answer questions that can easily be obtained by looking them up online - like wikipedia (he considers that to be gospel truth) - but info that cannot easily be obtained by looking up online he ignores. Obviously, he doesn't have a problem answering trivia questions. He just can't answer the little details because he is not a resident of NY. That "east of lexington below 80th is lenox hill" was a textbook answer. Probably right from wikipedia.

Sorry, rufus, but intelligent people see right through your lies. You DO NOT LIVE IN NEW YORK. It's not a personal attack, either. It's just calling you out.

Cracker Boy, where exactly do you live?

Rufus you are accused of not living here because you are still unable to answer what the direction of 7th Avenue is. It's been what 3 months now?

And Rufus lets say for the sake of argument you are correct. Then what? We're all still going to dislike Chicago, and you will continue to wet your pants over it. So the point is moot.

No, Sizzlack, the point is not moot. Where rufus is concerned, the point is *mute*!!!

[sorry, I know, I apologize]

Lol. I just wish this guy would realize that someone's appreciation of architecture is entirely subjective.
He might as well say ' The Louvre has all the world's nice art and any other museum, especially the MET because it's in NYC, has crap art'.
Obviously that isn't true. Obviously people who appreciate art will find stuff they like and dislike in both museums.

It's clear Rufus has some pretty deep rooted inferiority issues when it comes to Chicago and NYC. Why I even bother anymore is beyond me.

On a post a long while ago you posted links to a couple of nondescript buildings in Chicago. Nothing special about them.

I still love that Trump is the best building in Chicago, and they're so proud of it...

and here we make fun of Trump for 4th tier buildings.

I guess Chicago likes gold plated railings, pink marble, and bankrupcty.

I still love that Trump is the best building in Chicago, and they're so proud of it...

and here we make fun of Trump for 4th tier buildings.

I guess Chicago likes gold plated railings, pink marble, and bankrupcty.

Chicago is not known for good architecture. Obesity, fat women and cholesterol, yes.

Chicago = Jersey City... that pretty much sums it up.

Lousy architecture and street fairs.

Here's a link to a picture of battery park city. Look at those apartments. Is that good architecture to you? They're completely bland, have the same color and design, and are not original whatsoever. It's just garbage that was put up by developers.

http://www.inetours.com/New_York/Pages/photos/Battery-Park-Hudson.html

Yes, Rufus. Who would want to live in Battery Park City when they could be in Chicago with this lovely "architecture"

http://www.chicagoclout.com/Chicago%20West%20Side%20Housing%20Slump.jpg

or this

http://www.strath.ac.uk/Departments/CBE/Chicago%20visit/Photographs%20from%20Chicago/Cabrini%20Green%20Social%20Housing/Small%20Size/Cabrini%20Green%20social%20housing%20in%20Chicago%20(3).jpg

Goldie, are you retarded? Why don't you compare the condos in battery park city to those in streetervile, gold coast, or river north, and you'll see how much better Chicago's architecture is.

Rufus who the f*** is arguing that battery park city is the nicest architecture in the city? Only the voices in your head are. You just proved my Louvre example to a tee. You have such an inferiority complex about Chicago and animosity towards NYC that you are totally incapable of realizing good architecture when you see it.
If all you want to do is overlook all the beautiful things in this city and pick out some random examples to prove a point no one here is trying to argue, then you really should find better things to do with your time.
And I know just what that will be...starting more ridiculous threads on here.

Everyone knows that Chicago is second to no one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aPOQPk5Zrc

And that its architecture is superior and more upscale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSmUHQN152A&feature=related

Cracker Boy, you know nothing about architecture, so here's the real deal:

Battery Park City is a successful example of recreating a sophisticated, elegant and classic urban feel in newer residential buildings, using brick and masonry cladding that blends well with its environment, and creates a streetscape that is walkable and interesting.

The particular buildings that you like in Chitroit are all in the style that architects in the 1980s called (with a smugly dismissive attitude) "postmodern", and the general public called (with the same attitude) "toy". They use silly colors, they have pointless curving setbacks just because CAD makes it possible, etc. etc. etc. It's surprising they haven't rendered a portrayal of Elsie the Cow in the top 15 stories of one of them -- because it's neato. They are, in short, desperate cries for attention and help; you more than anyone understand what that's all about.

Just end it all. Brush your teeth with a .38 . . . that way you don't have to face 2009, when Illinois runs out of unemployment insurance for you. You'll be doing yourself a favor, as well as all those laid-off Citadel and General Growth employees.

stevexjh
about 2 hours ago
ignore this person
report abuse Chicago is not known for good architecture. Obesity, fat women and cholesterol, yes.

lol, look who's talking, bald, male breasts, owns cats, still rents, charges by the word

alanhart, there is nothing appealing about putting up buildings that all look the same. That shows serious lack of originality or innovation. And it's not just battery park city. A lot of the apartments on upper east side have the exact same look. Even the townhomes in brooklyn heights and park slope are virtually identical and indistinguishable from each other. The architecture in NYC is bland and mediocre at best.

Rufus try opening a history book sometime, it may (I stress MAY) help you understand this thing we call 'history'. You see 'history' will help to explain to you why things look the way they do. There was indeed a city here long before a man named Trump ever started building high rises.

Heres a quote from 1791 that unfortunately explains you to a tee:
"I have often amused myself with thinking how different a place London is to different people. They, whose narrow minds are contracted to the consideration of some one particular pursuit, view it only through that medium...but the intellectual man is struck with it, as comprehending the whole of human life in all its variety, the contemplation of which is inexhaustible. - James Boswell

Can you even understand that? And I'll help you out a little, you are NOT the intellectual man.

And I will repost my comment from yesterday:

"You have such an inferiority complex about Chicago and animosity towards NYC that you are totally incapable of realizing good architecture when you see it. "

Disney and Dubai have very nice structures. But I wouldn't want to live there.

It goes way beyond that. I would never want to live in Chicago ever, but it obviously has some very nice architecture. Rufus, and his inability to even acknowledge that there may indeed be very beautiful buildings in NYC, shows that he isn't at all interested in critiquing architecture (or that he even knows what nice architecture is) but that he is intent on smearing our city in every way possible (even if it makes him look like a raving, foaming at the mouth, lunatic troll).

And as a reminder, Cracker Boy of Hammond, we use the definite article with "Upper East Side," and we don't have "townhomes" (a ridiculous invention of 1970s middle-American real estate developers) in New York -- we have townhouses.

Fortunately, though, we don't have CAD-driven toy-style buildings in green and blue that look like they were laughed out of an architecture school in 1983.

Now tell me how ugly Tuscan villages are because they all have copycat rooftops that look the same as one another! Imbecile.

And you know given this guy claims to live on the UWS, you'd think he'd be familiar with 7th Ave, especially the direction no?

If rufus does use wikipedia, it certainly must irk him when he looks up trivia NYC and reads the opening paragraph:

"New York City (officially The City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area ranks among the world's most populous urban areas. It is a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, and entertainment. The city is also an important center for international affairs, hosting the United Nations headquarters."

Funny how wikipedia doesn't mention Chicago being a leader in anything (except maybe in homicide rates).

I know people on here have pointed it out, but notice how he doesn't use terminology that we New Yorkers know cold. For instance. Who in New York says just UPPER EAST SIDE. Everyone that lives, works here knows it's THE UPPER EAST SIDE. The same thing is for THE UPPER WEST SIDE. He says I live on upper west side. I don't know anyone who says that. Everyone says THE UPPER WEST SIDE. These little things I keep reading make me very suspicious that he is not a NYer.

In this thread he was questioned about 7th avenue, and street signage that is unique to New York. He couldn't answer it. Probably because he can't ascertain these things when he is in Chicago.

Sizzlack, you're correct. He is not interested in NYC architecture. He just wants to knock NYC. Any attempt. He is always complaining about housing projects in Manhattan and how dirty it is. He is just used to a city like Chicago, where segregation is something they are proud of. New York is much more diverse and dynamic than Chicago. Chicago has its areas for blacks, whites and Latinos and that's it.

From reading this thread, it is beyond a reasonable doubt he doesn't live or even work in New York. He probably gets off on trying to get under the skin of NYers.

If you look at his conversation with Goldie he posts a link to look at BPC. Why would you need a link to compare BPC? We live here, we know what it looks like. He did that because that's how he gets his views, not from living here and seeing firsthand but on the web.

someone asked him very easy trivia questions about NYC and he couldn't answer them? What's your local grocery store?
Because he knew that there aren't any Jewel-Osco's in NY. And he couldn't answer how street signs are because he knew they are labeled completely different in NY than Chicago.

I don't understand why people like him want to try to knock NY down. Probably because Chicago is a miserable city that snows everyday, pay way too much taxes for the Midwest, have corrupt and incompetent government services, homicide out of control, completely racially segregated city, losing population, losing jobs, and an overall bleak economic picture. Chicago is quickly becoming the next Detroit.

exit2, you're really ignorant. NYC has a city tax, which Chicago does not have, and patterson and bloomberg will be imposing even more taxes.

bloomberg has been a terrible mayor. He is cutting the police budget, which is why the city's violent crime rate has skyrocketed this year. So far, we've had incidents ranging from a shooting at the waldorf astoria hotel lobby to a woman getting mugged in prime upper east side.

You're right that chicago is more segregated. But most people who make good money don't want to live near housing projects or "luxury" rentals where 20% of the residents are poor people who are just getting handouts from the government. This is why the rest of America thinks NYC is a liberal nightmare, more like Europe than any real American city.

You addressed those issues but all with wrongs answers. Yet you don't negate the fact that I stated you live in Chicago and not here. Because it's the truth.
Yes NY pays huge taxes but get to live in the cultural and financial capital of the world. What is the payoff in Chicago? To pay huge taxes to the most political corrupt city and state in the Union?

From your terminology we know you do not live in New York or even work here. You have made too many reference mistakes. But what I cannot figure out is why you have such a grudge toward New York. Is it because your love, Chicago, is struggling in every capacity? Or is it that you tried living here but found it too competitive, too expensive and too overwhelming? Did you decide to move back to the Midwest where the "real" people are?

You've had more than 24 hours to come up with answers to some of those questions. Even someone sitting on a beach in Malibu could have found out a grocery store on THE upper west side. Or how street signs are labeled in New York.

I'm sorry you are stuck in Chicago in 8 inches of snow with another 4 inches on the way and a city government so corrupt and mismanaged that they cannot even plow the streets of snow.

http://nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cscity.pdf

and rufus, NYC's violent crime this year to date as of 12/14/08 is DOWN 2.5% last year, with overall crime DOWN 3.46%.

Violent crime includes homicides, rapes, felony assault and robberies.

Do you just completely make stuff up and convince yourself its true? Do you suffer from the OJ Simpson complex? If you believe your lies enough they must be true.

Rufus said "to a woman getting mugged in prime upper east side"

Are you freakin serious? This defines the so called "violent crime rate that has skyrocketed this year"? This is a city, people get mugged it cities. They get mugged it prosperous times and they get mugged in sh***y times. As long as people have lived in cities, people have been mugged. It proves nothing. And I don't know how you can go on and on about Chicago all the while ignoring the insane murder rate there, yet criticize crime in NYC because a woman was mugged.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/chicago.homicide.rate.2.847736.html

meanwhile, chicago, a city with more than 5.5 million FEWER residents has more homicides than NY. A homicide rate almost 6 times New York.

and exit we established long ago Rufus is either a failed architect, failed city planner, or most likely worked in finance and was laid off, plus was rejected by numerous ladies here because he hates them too. alanhart can probably add a few more potential jobs he had here for a brief time before the city swallowed him whole and he had to run home.

and most people who make good money in the Chicago area don't live in Chicago. They live in the suburbs.

Why don't you try joining Dallas' version of street easy. Then you could more closely compare Chicago to Dallas. Chicago is not even in the same league as NY. Funny that Chicago has been the 3rd city in population rankings for close to 20 years now, yet still insists on calling itself the "Second City". It is also in jeopardy of losing the 3rd city ranking. Houston will, within 10 years, outrank Chicago in population. Soon Chicago will be the 4th city.

exit2, once again you're wrong. There are a lot of rich people in gold coast, river north, west loop, streeterville, lakeshore east, lincoln park, lakeview. The gold coast has more wealth than any comparable sized area of manhattan, except prime fifth and park avenues.

Yes but Rufus will then come back and say "GOLD COAST GOLD COAST!"

See, crime in Chicago is only relegated to the poor, black parts of they city. So rufus's solution is to compare ONLY the nice parts of Chicago to the WHOLE of NYC. Is it racism? Stupidity? Or pure genius?

No one really knows.

Yawn, yet here we are on a Manhattan forum and not on a Chicago forum.

but rufus, you fail to answer any of the trivia questions. I don't even think you ever lived in NY.
I;ve never been to Chicago, thank God, but why would I even believe you when you say all these neighborhoods ar wealthy? You also said that violent crime in NYC has "skyrocketed this year" and yet violent crime is down 2.5% this year. Obviously, you have no idea what you are talking about. Why would anyone believe anything you say? As far as I'm concerned, Chicago is a classic rust belt city with an obesity problem. Despite what wikipedia may say.

and Chicago is the only major city in the United States to be losing population. While NY, LA, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Boston, D.C., are all growing, Chicago continues to lose population.

I can understand why you are bitter. That's probably why all Chicagoans do is eat all day long.

Seriously, rufus and petrfitz should be buddies and talk to each other. Both are pretentious, social climbers. petrfitz can talk about how rich he is, and rufus can suck up to him and convince him to move to Chicago.

Cracker Boy, someone just posted a "100 Wealthiest Neighborhoods in the US" list-link here on Streeteast -- and I just can't seem to find the Gold Coast on it -- just white-flight towns around Chicago. How unfair reality is!

because he can't afford to live in NYC that's why he hates it so much.

rufus, read my handle