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Albany

This photo of Albany, the capital of New York, from the 1950s shows a city that, if it weren’t for the straight streets, almost feels like a poverty-stricken Eastern European capital.

Unfortunately, it became even more like a poverty-stricken Eastern European capital when Big Brother decided to get rid of it all and replace it with a giant, heartless, government plaza.

I wonder if Governor Rockefeller visited Brasilia and thought “Gee, I ought to get me one of them!” Empire State Plaza (or Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza as it is now officially known) involved the displacement of thousands of poor people, hundreds of small businesses, bad architecture, and the humongous cost – partly owing to the omnipresent use of marble instead of more economic stones.

The result was the destruction of a large community built on a human scale in favor of an expensive, espansive, inhospitable Communist dreamland on the Hudson. A crime.

Published at 2:10 pm on Wednesday 27 October 2004. Categories: Architecture New York Tags: , , .
Comments

Spot-on. For further discussion of how to Hitlerize your archiecture, I recommend Robert Hughes’ Shock of the New

— rico567 7 Aug 2007 6:20 am

It should be remembered that Nelson Rockefeller was also a major influence behind the creation of the late World Trade Center. As at Albany, eminent domain swept aside an untidy but vibrant older district to create THE GRAND NEW GESTURE. Build it and they will come — just not those who were already there.

— Sebastien Rale 12 Sep 2007 7:32 am

Well said.

— Carli 29 Oct 2008 1:45 pm

By the way, I have been a resident of albany for my whole life, so I greatly appreciate this.

— Carli 29 Oct 2008 1:47 pm

u seem to hit albany right on the head.. are you from the area? would be interested in any other pictures you have from the older days as im doing a composite for the quadcentennial

— john 16 Dec 2009 5:51 am
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