New York is by far the wealthiest, largest and most powerful of American cities. But here’s what it’s not: the most beautiful.
Despite New York’s glorious water-bound setting, second only to San Francisco’s, and its heritage of great architecture, second only to Chicago’s, New York takes care of its public face very poorly.
Once considered a frivolity by social commentators, good looks are today recognized as essential to the economic welfare of post-industrial cities, whose successful residents can live any place they choose. While some city dwellers still accept a film-noirish urban atmosphere of dark streets and bleak public spaces, this fashion is passing quickly. New young residents want sleekness and chic. And they get it in Miami, Los Angeles, Portland and Boston – not to mention London, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona.
Other major cities have adjusted to this shift in the zeitgeist. They look loved. Ours, too often, looks trashed. Many of New York’s streets are filthy, its sidewalks pitted, its subway trains a mess. Litter overflows trash bins, scaffolding mars some of the loveliest buildings for years on end, major street corners are blighted by a jumble of plastic bins for free newspapers and a clutter of incomprehensible and unsightly parking signs spoil even the prettiest streets.
Is this any way for the capital of capital, as we like to call ourselves, to look? New York is poorly cared for when compared to, say, Chicago, which practically shimmers, with its gorgeous lakefront and lavish mayoral plantings on streets and highways. Architectural critic Joseph Giovannini calls it the “Rome of North America,” noting that its fine architecture defines the public realm in a ceremonial way, treating the pedestrian with great respect. He also points out that Chicagoans, in turn, regard their city with deep civic pride.
It’s true that Chicago, as well as many other cities, has the advantage of alleys. In drawing up New York’s famous grid maximizing real estate values, the city’s early 19th century planners dispensed with alleys because they took square footage away from valuable property. We’ve been living with the consequences ever since, including constant trash bags on sidewalks.
And yes, New York is densely populated. But London, New York’s major competitor, is becoming every bit as dense in its major neighborhoods – and they look far better.
The Mayor’s Management Report, which functions as the New York’s principal strategic planning document, claims that street cleanliness ratings reached an all-time high of 94.3 percent in fiscal year 2007. Every one of the city’s 234 sanitation sections averaged 80 percent “acceptably clean or better,” according to the MMR. Does any New Yorker not working for Mayor Bloomberg believe this? Let’s ask Mayor Daley to send us a few of Chicago’s street-cleanliness evaluators and see how we do.
Worse, new forms of ugliness seem to be regularly introduced in New York. Take, for example, the Department of Transportation’s much-touted Muni-Meters, which accept credit cards. Bulky, squat, and painted industrial gray, the meters (and their two garish yellow posts) are often haphazardly installed, just slammed into sidewalks, not even positioned parallel to the street. Equally intrusive are the large brown metal boxes holding the electronic equipment for DOT’s red-light cameras. Placed on traffic-light poles at waist level, the boxes are both intrusive and easily accessible to graffiti vandals. Transportation innovations are crucial to New York’s economy – but do they have to be so ugly?
It’s an old New York problem, of course. Architect James Sanders, author of “Celluloid Skyline,” says that, “arguing for beautification has always been an uphill battle.” He points out that New York’s lack of loveliness prompted 19th-century New Yorkers, who traveled to Paris and London, to found the Municipal Arts Society when they came home. In the reflection of gorgeous European cities, New York seemed “a brash, commercial, vulgar-looking place” on their return.
Former City Planning official Alex Garvin, author of “The American City: What Works, What Doesn’t,” says tactfully, “In New York, historically, we spent our money on things other than beautification – social welfare programs of every kind, housing, the City University. We took on functions other cities didn’t even have.”
But isn’t this the right time for New York to take on this previously ignored function – to make itself as beautiful as its competitors? Mayor Bloomberg has shown his administration can do just about anything he sets his mind to. They’ve rezoned the Brooklyn waterfront, brought down crime another 25 percent from the Giuliani years, financed the subway’s number 7 extension – all major accomplishments. What’s more, several sections of New York are already on their way.
First, any neighborhood administered by a strong Business Improvement District – Grand Central, 34th Street Partnership, Madison Avenue – is likely to have good-looking street furniture, regular trash pick-ups, and handsome landscaping. BIDs demonstrate that blocks can be made attractive with constant attention.
Second, a few planned developments like Battery Park City, Stuyvesant Town, and the new Red Hook Stores Warehouse (landlord to the new Fairway Market) have introduced lovely walkways and street furniture, attractive landscaping, handsome paving. And, they’ve kept their public areas clean.
Third, New York City’s extensive park system – an astonishing 28,726 acres – has been a triumph of public-private cooperation that has resulted in great-looking parks. Quasi-private entities like the Central Park Conservancy, the Prospect Park Alliance, and the Hudson River Trust have built, restored, and cleaned-up huge swaths of public land. They have also freed up public money to be available for equally important but less renowned parks.
What these entities have in common is leadership that cares. Many BID founders, not to mention park activists and officials, have brought messianic fervor to beautifying their areas. Mayor Bloomberg has brought messianic fervor to restoring the city’s fiscal health and economy. Now if he can just make its beauty equal to its wealth.
Julia Vitullo-Martin is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.