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by whistlerbrk 2652 days ago
I work at WTC and this is exactly how I feel about the area under the Oculus connecting the Brookfield Mall. It's like a scene out of Gattaca, a massive dizzyling underground mall/complex with no natural light filled with luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at. Everyone walks through in a daze, seemingly impressed by the magnitude of the cavern but at the same I can't help to think they feel as equally empty and drained by it as me.

Developments like Hudson Yards seem to be cargo culturing culture. If we build a public arts space, offices, restaurants, shops, and a playground then surely people will arrive, right?! Feels very weird.
3 comments
crazygringo 2652 days ago
> with no natural light

I mean, I agree with you a lot, but the Oculus itself is tons of natural light, it's all soaring windows:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQvDMR-aOZc/maxresdefault.jpg

The above-ground Oculus structure is beautiful and inspiring in a way little architecture in that part of the city is.

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walterbell 2652 days ago
> luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at

3D walk-in billboards.

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caprese 2652 days ago
Exactly, I think of them as exhibits. I've looked at brick and mortar as museums for a long time and I'm not the only one.

My wonderment and praise for the gallery curator shattered by the clerk trying to upsell me on a store credit card or data mining loyalty program.

"Why are you talking?"

Must be the quizzical expression my face makes as I take slightly too long to reply.

For actually purchasing something going into a retail store is basically a game of "how is the sales person going to lie to me today". It should come with a laugh track streamed live on twitch.

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atombender 2652 days ago
> filled with luxury shops that no one appears to actually shop at

This [1] Reddit thread from the other day was interesting reading. Those empty luxury shops are definitely to a large extent ads for high-end companies who just want to have a New York presence. Same thing on 5th avenue and in airports.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/b2n7y6/people_that_...

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