very simple

This is awesome.

And this? not so much.

This building is actually right next door to mine, and yes, I face north. My view (what there was to speak of) was of the roof of the "shorter" part of the building. I’ve been woken up by a steady stream of jackhammers at 7am every morning for the past six months. Which is lovely (and apparently alright – I checked with NYC DEP to make sure). When they don’t tie down their tarps (which is often), they actually smack into my window.

According to the very overwrought yet not very informative website, when it’s done I’ll be able to either spy on the penthouse apartments or watch people go swimming. How fun. I should also point out that I’m close enough to one part of the building to actually throw things in the windows (not that I’d ever do that!). When I’m actually home in the daylight this weekend, maybe I’ll take a few pictures so y’all can compare and contrast.

They’re also apparently using non-union workers, as evidenced by the picketers and giant-inflatable non-union rat that I walk past every single morning on my way to the subway. I have a love/hate relationship with the inflatable rat – there’s just something so mean and in-your-face about it, but kind of gives me the heeby-jeebies. It sometimes appears on the other side of the street (at the other, co-op, construction site on the north side of 21st street), and I’ve seen it in various other places around the city over the past few years (It also spent some time hanging out in front of my old office building, when they started renovating).

Tags: real estate