[panzagl]

Somehow none of the included pictures made obvious to me what the article was talking about, but the google maps view makes it very apparent.

[gumby]

I imagine the author to be a long time / lifetime new yorker and that they assumed the reader to be the same.

I had no problem visualising the situation not because I have some special brainpower but just due to knowing the building and Manhattan.

[mikestew]

When I took enough time to look at the picture of the old map, then read the paragraph, and refer back to the map, then I could see it. But, yeah, it becomes readily apparent once you go to the map app of your choice and look at 42nd and Lexington to find the east side of the Chrysler building.

Were the author to superimpose the Chrysler building plot on top of that old map, it would have been much more clear, IMO.

[pseudosavant]

My exact experience too.