Facebook Company Town: Under Construction

Facebook announced plans for a 394-unit residential development located just blocks from its Menlo Park headquarters.  Plans call for a $120 million, 630,000-square-foot complex that will include “everything from a sports bar, to a doggy day care.” (WSJ)  These development plans are not necessarily remarkable in size, but more so in a larger social context that dates back almost 100 years ago.

Company towns, which at one point numbered into the thousands, have been declining throughout the decades.  Lack on investment, economic shifts, and an inability to innovate and draw-in talent, are all facts that have led to the death of the company town.  Detroit serves as a perfect example when thinking about the death of a “company town.”  As auto-manufacturing declined, so did Detroit.  Unlike New York and Boston, cities have have been able to continually innovate and recreate themselves, Detroit and other company towns see their residents (and income) moving out.  From there the downward spiral until there the city is left as nothing more than a shell of its former self.

Facebook appears to be creating a company town of yesteryear with all of today’s modern conveniences.  Following Google’s “treat you too well to leave our company” philosophy as Facebook hopes to “lure coveted engineers with over-the-top perks and offices that resemble adult playground.” (WSJ)  I am suspicious as to how this town will end up turning out.  Will Facebook continue to adapt as society changes, and not only that, but will they continually update this growing town so that it is not rendered useless in a century like countless others?  Sadly, I think the answer is no, Facebook will not be able to adjust as time goes by, however, it will be interesting to see if Facebook brings rise to a new version of the company town.

New 1,300 Foot Skyscraper Coming To 57th Street

The development in New York is starting to get out of hand (in a good way!).  Yesterday, JDS Development’s proposal passed a final hurdle for city approval.  The New York City Landmarks Commission approved the 1,350 ft. building yesterday.  The super-tall super-skinny structure will be on the same block as Gary Barnett’s billionaire tower, 157 West 57th Street.  Here are some pictures taken from the Curbed article.

 

On a side note…I truly am beginning to think we are entering a golden age of development here.  Between the World Trade Center, The Ghery Building, 432 Park Avenue, One57, and now this project, this list of 1,000+ Ft. tall buildings in New York City is really going to be reshaping our skyline, into a skyline of the future.  Soon, the most famous skyline in the world, will be transformed into a sci-fi version of reality.  Hopefully this development is sustainable rather than a bubble ready to pop.

 

9 Things That Have Changed Since the Last Government Shutdown

The United States government officially closed for first time in 16 years. Here are nine quick stats about what has changed since the last government shutdown of 1996.

1. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline ranged between $1.20 – $1.47 in 1996. Compare that to today’s national average price of $3.39 per gallon. This represents an increase of roughly 260 percent.

2. In 1996, American support of marriage equality stood at 27 percent. At that time, no states allowed same-sex marriage. Today, support for marriage equality stands at over 53 percent (and is continuing to rise). In addition, gays and lesbians can now get married in 13 states and Washington D.C.

3. The population of the United States stood at 269.39 million in 1996 compared to over 314.39 million today.

4. The Latino population of the United States was 27 million in 1996. Today, the population of Latinos living the United States has more than doubled to nearly 60 million.

5. Nielsen’s highest rated TV shows of 1996-1997 were (from most popular): E.R, Seinfeld, Suddenly Susan, and a tie between Friends and The Naked Truth.

6. Only three of the most visited websites in the United States existed in 1996. The other seven websites: Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, and Twitter, did not exist yet.

7. Mark Zuckerberg was 13 years old.

8. Apple’s stock ranged between $5.50 – $8.50 a share in 1996. Today the stock is valued at over $486.00 a share. That is more than a 6000 percent increase.

9. The “Macarena” led Billboard’s chart of the Top 100 Songs of 1996. The “Macarena” was followed by “One Sweet Day,” by Mariah Carey, “Because You Loved Me,” By Celine Dion (a personal favorite), “Nobody Knows” by Tony Rich Project, and “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey.

Two Ace Hotel Projects Coming To The Lower East Side

The Ace Hotel is quietly moving forward with not one, but TWO projects on the Lower East Side.  The first project is located at the end of Orchard Street (and Canal), while the second building under renovation is located at 225 Bowery.   The Bowery Boogie has the complete story, however I was able to speak with a real estate broker who is organizing the Bowery deal.

The broker, who chose to remain anonymous, first reported that he was working a deal at 225 back in June.  He told me a “high end and well-known hotel” was scouting the Bowery location for a new project.  It was also mentioned that they are in the city already and have an interest in at least three locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Apparently things are really moving forward with the deal.  No completion date has been announced, however I have been reassured it will NOT be for the next year at least.  More to come as the project really starts to take shape.

A little more on the Ace Hotel – The New York Ace Hotel is located in the trendy NoMad neighborhood (North of Madison Square Park).  This chain is a personal favorite of mine.  Similar to the Standard Hotel chain, The Ace features beautiful public spaces (the lobby also has free Wi-fi and is a great place to see and be seen) as well as an Opening Ceremony, Stumptown Coffee, and the Breslin restaurant.  

The boutique chain also has locations in London, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and a growing list of other locations.

 

New York Rush Hour(s) Seen Through Foursquare Check-Ins

This incredible video not only shows where New Yorkers are checking-in, but also shows what type of businesses, establishments, restaurants, etc. users are checking into.

The social networking site allows users to “check-in,” and share tips and pictures with fellow users and friends alike. Foursquare was started by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai in 2009. The startup experienced exponential growth and continues to grow well past 30 million users.

Skyline Banners Double As Hong Kong Skyline For Tourist Photo’ Opps

A pretty amazing thing is happening in Hong Kong these days.  Smog and pollution has become so dense, that tourists can no longer see the city’s incredible skyline and famous Victoria Harbor.  To combat the issue, the government has created “skyline banners,” with beautiful (and fake) backgrounds.  Don’t believe me?  Pics or it didn’t happen?  Take a look and read the full article here.:

“The real purpose of these drawings is not to predict the future. Their real goal is to control it.” NYT

A great article was published today in the TImes today regarding the importance of a good rendering.  Take a look at the difference between supporters and naysayers of a new mega-development project that has been proposed for the Greenpoint waterfront.  

 

 

The article does a great job of expressing the difficulties architect’s face when designing a new building.  Not only must they develop a building, but they also have to present a project that can gain approval from the city.  It is a rare occurrence for a rendering to be “lifelike,” because a tower simply wouldn’t stand out.  Take a look at these renderings and see if they are truly lifelike.

 

REal

RIU Hotels Checks In to Times Squares

RIU Hotels Checks In to Times Squares.

PHOTO: Taxis of the Future Appear On Houston

The taxi of the future has been spotted today! These two cabs were seen driving on Houston and Avenue A, and are part of a pilot program. The cab design is sleek, modern and surprisingly, does not look too minivan-esque like the original model. Expect to see a fleet of cabs (13,000 strong!) hitting the streets next year when the program launches.

READ THIS: If You Take The R Train

Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath is just now starting to take full affect for those who commute via the R train. The line, which carries an estimated 650,000 daily commuters will be largely shut down for the next 14-months.

The train will not run into or out of Manhattan thanks to the 30 million gallons of corrosive salt water that flooded the Montague Street Tunnel.

Commuters have been told to utilize other yellow-line trains. R train service will be running between manhattan and Queens as well as in Brooklyn, but access across/under the East River will not exist for another 450 days.

Plan ahead to avoid even more aggravating MTA service changes.