[artspook]

I’ve always LOVED driving on the Grand Central Viaduct
around Grand Central Terminal . . It’s like a NYC amusement
park ride . . under Park, then over 42nd, around the terminal,
then down again through the dark tunnels in the bowls of the
Helmsley (NY Central) building . . It’s a fun shortcut, like a secret
passageway in the heart of the city . . The route gets you up & away
from the snarling grid, choked with traffic . . Driving the Viaduct
takes you back in time to when NYC was at its most exuberant,
ambitious & mysterious . . You experience the exciting vibe of the
time this twisted landmark roadway was built, when automobiles were
new & exotic . . It’s an old Spooky Gotham thing, like a carriage
ride through the Park, a ride on the Staten Island ferry, traversing
the ancient Brooklyn Bridge . . IMO, turning the viaduct into a
pedestrian public space is a wrong move . .
I’m certainly for the creation of new Parks around town . .
the High Line is awesome . . But I’m one of those people who think
that Times Square, a quintessential Manhattan focal point, is the last
place for an Indianapolis picnic table . . especially in the middle of
the street, blocking Broadway ! . . Yeah, I’ll admit it, I got a big thrill
driving through Times Square also . . The crowds, flashing lights,
What a rush . .
. . Cars add a lot of Life & bustle to Manhattan . . The city
would be too creepy quiet without them . . The pollution of the
gasoline engine will soon be gone . . but our personal cars with
an alternate power source, is hardly gonna disappear . .