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I disagree that his goal is to make NYC more European feeling. I think he is building upon the things that make NYC great, like our parks and walkability, by increasing open space and plazas. It just so happens that what makes NYC great is also what makes many European cities great also. He is trying to make our city more livable for all Americans, make it cleaner and healthier, and spread the wealth across the 5 boroughs instead of a few privdeledged areas of Manhattan.
Bloomberg is doing a great job for the city. The majority would seem to agree as he was elected for 3 terms. His goal is to make NYC a more European-feeling city, which means increase tourism and increase money for NYC. It all comes down to money and he's doing it in the best interest of NYC.
Excuse me, but Bloomberg ran by manipulating the laws to suit himself and then by spending such a phenomenal amount of money that viable candidates were intimidated into not running. In fact, he was reportedly shaken to discover that, despite all his spending, he won by such a narrow margin over his little-known opponent.
As to feeling European, there's a big difference between chic or Bohemian Parisians sitting at a quaint cafe in a charming street, and overweight Americans in baggy jeans sitting on cheap chairs in the middle of one of the ugliest, most garish parts of Manhattan.
I find these so-called malls absolutely ridiculous. I'm really not quite clear as to why sitting in the middle of car exhaust is preferable to taking ones fat or skinny ass along with their book to Central Park and sitting in one of the hundreds of much more comfortably secluded areas available.
Besides this being true and agreeing with it, I don't know why but I was literally crying out of laughter.
I disagree that his goal is to make NYC more European feeling. I think he is building upon the things that make NYC great, like our parks and walkability, by increasing open space and plazas. It just so happens that what makes NYC great is also what makes many European cities great also. He is trying to make our city more livable for all Americans, make it cleaner and healthier, and spread the wealth across the 5 boroughs instead of a few privdeledged areas of Manhattan.
New York could use some European flair. The pedestrian plazas give New York more European pizazz. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers resist initiatives like this because many New Yorkers don't give a hoot about appearances, architecture, beauty like Europeans and only care about stupid crap like creating/protecting low-income (welfare) housing.
I'm not some anti-car communist, I love driving my car when I'm back in Manhattan, and couldn't imagine life without out but these road closings have so far helped improve appearances (and have actually improved traffic). I can testify because I drive in Manhattan.
Times Square looks cooler now with the chairs (before it looked a tacky catastrophe with the plastic lawn chairs, but it looks better with the permanent furniture). A definite upgrade.
34th Street is a dumpy hellhole anyway, if I'm not mistaken, they're closing that dumpy street in front of the Empire State?
Hopefully this pedestrian plaza will force out filthy bottom-basement low-rent stores and smelly counterfeit resellers/scammers that occupy that area since it will no doubt increase rent values on the street and bring in more acceptable (upscale) retail and restaurants.
New York will never be a European type city , because its a too large and vast. I think bloomberg needs stop with these plazas and focus on Mass Transit and other city issues, instead of turning it into Tourist Paradise.....ugh don't get me started on Tourists... Staten Island has almost no Transit. Meanwhile city schools and average New Yorkers are suffering , while he pours millions into stupid PED malls.......honestly if you New Yorkers want a break just cross the River as i say into the NJ Gold Coast. I also think Bloomberg is selling the city out to big corporation's & his rich big wigs.
NO, I would not prefer that, so don't assume that I do.
Just because we have a (whoop de doo) pedestrian mall, doesn't make the city that much cleaner.
Logically: The cars that can no more go in that area are just somewhere else.
Actually, logically, people start to see that it just generally takes longer to get around in midtown, so they cut down on how much they drive.
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Staten Island has almost no Transit. Meanwhile city schools and average New Yorkers are suffering , while he pours millions into stupid PED malls.......honestly if you New Yorkers want a break just cross the River as i say into the NJ Gold Coast.
I also think Bloomberg is selling the city out to big corporation's & his rich big wigs.
