Reply With QuoteTo an ordinary tourist and New Yorker, Citicorp is much more recognizable than Woolworth.
40 Wall Street (Trump Building)
American International Building
Citicorp Center
Seagram Building
United Nations Building
Trump World Tower
Hearst Tower
Time-Warner Center
PanAm Building (MetLife)
RCA Building (GE)
I know what you mean, think of 1 Liberty Plaza as the coffin that the Singer bldg is in.Originally Posted by ablarc
To an ordinary tourist and New Yorker, Citicorp is much more recognizable than Woolworth.
So is the United Nations.
Btw, Hearst Tower finally got a vote. That leaves only the world's tallest apartment building out in the cold...named for the world's most famous developer.
^Sure, Trump is famous even over here and most people who know of him know he's a big real-estate tycoon/developer. But actually recognizing one of his buildings as his.. nah. I, too, went with Citicorp. Not my personal favourite of the ones listed (that'd be 70 Pine st.) but easily the most widely recognized.
Call me crazy but the PanAm is my favorite post-depression skyscraper in the world. It is bold and beautiful.
We should do favorite bridges next.
If you're crazy, then I don't wanna be sane....I like that building also. I like the way it imposes over Park Avenue. With the Manhattan street grid, very few skyscrapers stand out that way. But here's the Met Life building saying "Here I am! See me! Love me!"
As far as bridges go, the Brooklyn Bridge has to be my favorite. I think the Triborough Bridge (the hellgate span) is also very attractive.
as a skyline icon, I have to go with Citicorp. In terms of ground activity and tourist visits, I have to go with GE/Rockefeller Plaza. From the POV of driving North on the Jersey turnpike to the GW, Columbus Circle would have to get my vote.
Of course, this is only until 1WTC rises, by which time we also may need to add BOA into the shortlist, hopefully.
I voted for MetLife.
Arrive into the beautiful Grand Central Station. Step outside with MetLife towering overhead: Quite Iconic. You've arrived in NYC, the destination of destinations.
These were actually my first steps in NYC. I took the train down from New Haven.
30 Rock
30 Rock has to be the 4th iconic building. Rockefeller Center is world famous, plus 30 Rock can be seen from just about anywhere. Also, the GE sign is very distinctive. (not as good as the old RCA sign though)
Exactly. Whats more iconic than the view down (or up) the most famous avenue in the western hemisphere. It provides a wonderful backdrop to both the Helmsley and Grand Central Terminal. And then there is the view from the 59th street bridge, where it stands it's ground admirably with both Chrysler and the Empire State.
I voted RCA. Darn near everybody who visits New York makes their way to the plaza at Rock. Ctr. and gazes up its famous flank. It may not be prominent on the skyline, but that's not what this poll asks.
However, the building I would have chosen isn't even on the list: FLATIRON.
I was wondering why the flatiron wasn't on there as well.
I would've chosen the Flatiron as well as an initial response. But thinking about 30 Rock, Rock Center, the new obs deck, the Rainbow Room, Radio City I think probably that would be it.
More famous than neighboring 5th Avenue or Broadway? I don't think so. And even a relatively "small" thoroughfare like Wall Street is probably more famous. Then there are a few others outside of New York to consider: LA's Sunset Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), Chicago's Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile), and Washington DC's Pennsylvania Avenue. I think all of these give Park Avenue a run for its money.
I don't know about MetLife. It's definitely famous, but iconic? I don't think it stands up to Citigroup Center, or the UN. 30 Rock - now that's an interesting one. Rockefeller Center is world famous, but how many people actually view the GE Building (on its own) as an icon? I don't know, I guess everyone has a right to an opinion. Though I wonder how different the results would be if we had more non-New Yorkers, and foreigners, voting in the thread.
Definitely agree that the Flatiron deserved a spot in this survey. One of my all-time favorites.
Broadway and Wall Street are more famous as districts than as streets. Its a stretch I admit, but I say no to them. Outside of New York, 5th Ave is not nearly as renowned as Park Ave. Not even close. I'd put 5th Ave with Madison Ave. Riverside and Bleeker behind them.
As far as the others go, I had no idea the Vegas strip was called "Las Vegas Ave;" so I'm disqualifying that one. Michigan Ave is a great part of a nice town, but everyone knows Chicago is just New York Lite. No way.
Sunset Blvd is the most renowned street (and a great movie) in what is unfortunately viewed as America's cultural capital. Just like everything in LA however, the street has no soul and if shown a picture I wouldn't be able to distinguish it from Melrose/Hollywood Blvd.
Pennsylvania Ave is the street that travels from the White House to the Capitol Building in the political capitol of our country. Great name recognition, beautiful vistas, famous structures. This is the only street equally famous to Park Ave in my opinion. I'll give you that one.
Now that the Twin Towers are gone, I think the Pan Am is the next best emblem of the architectural style that dominated New York for over 20 years. Tall, boxy, utilitarian, controversial, elegant, reviled, and eventually loved. The more famous UN is all of these things but less so. Citicorp is a fantastic skyscraper but it doesn't really represent anything to me. Obviously its just me.I don't know about MetLife. It's definitely famous, but iconic?
Hear hear.Definitely agree that the Flatiron deserved a spot in this survey. One of my all-time favorites.
I don't know, lb, I find myself disagreeing even more strongly now. Broadway is much more than a district. It spans the entire length of the city and is central to almost every important neighborhood in Manhattan. Think about how many important landmarks are on it: Lincoln Center, virtually all of Times Square, Macy's/Herald Square, the Flatiron, not to mention the dozens of theaters that have made it world-famous. The word "Broadway" itself is synonymous with theater and with New York. People come from all over the world to see the "Great White Way." The pinnacle of success for someone in theater is to perform or be involved with a production on Broadway.
And 5th Avenue is in the same company as Madison, with Riverside and Bleecker right behind? How can you say that as someone living in New York? It has the Guggenheim, the Met, the Plaza, St. Patrick's, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, the NYPL, Saks, the Flatiron, and arguably one of the single wealthiest stretches of pavement in the world, bordering Central Park...need I go on? It is incredibly iconic, and without a doubt more famous than Park Avenue. Have you walked on either one recently? I'd say Fifth is about 80% tourists, 20% New Yorkers, while Park is the other way around. I'll acknowledge that Park is an incredible thoroughfare, but it's much more New York's thoroughfare. It's where all the business goes down. It has Grand Central, where thousands of commuters come in. It has an understated elegance. Fifth, on the other hand, is infinitely more geared towards tourists, with all its hotels, retail, and restaurants. That's what makes it world-famous, and that's why people visit it.
I'll give you Wall Street as being more a district. Still not sure how you arrived at disqualifying the Strip. I included the official name (Las Vegas Boulevard), but that doesn't make it any less famous. It's unique among all the streets mentioned because unlike other cities, it's really the only street that people come to see. All the hotels and attractions are right there. And yes, I think it could easily be as famous, if not more, than Park Avenue. The other three streets I included (Sunset, Michigan, and Pennsylvania) just for comparison's sake. I never said they were more famous. In fact, I said they gave Park Avenue a "run for its money." Notwithstanding that, it does prove a point. They're all the most famous thoroughfares in their respective cities. They're usually what outsiders most immediately want to see when they arrive. In New York, Park Avenue does not play that role. Fifth and Broadway both vie for that privilege.
As far as the buildings themselves are concerned: Like I said, everyone's entitled to an opinion, and I won't say anyone's wrong for voting for a particular building. That being said, I found your choice of words odd. You called MetLife "the best emblem of the architectural style." While you may believe that, I don't think that makes it more iconic. As you say, the UN is more famous, and that's why I voted for it.
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