james a. farley building
Alright, so why am i choosing what seems like just some random building as one of my favorite places. Quite frankly, because in an era where classic old building are being torn down and replaced with all glass building with no character, buildings such as this stand out. This just so happens to also be the landmark home of the main post office in New York City. Built in 1912 and named after James Farley the american politician, business man and head of the democratic national committee as well as well as serving as postmaster general.
The building stands across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station in midtown at 34th street and 8th avenue. There has been discussion about its transformation into a new transit hub named after the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan which would be primarily utilized by NJ Transit. The reason for this transformation is that the postal service, with its increased automation no longer needs the entire building which spans the full avenue between 8th and 9th. The transit hub would attempt to replace the old Penn Station which itself became the tragedy that has often fell iconic buildings in cities such as New York, and later became Madison Square Garden.
Personally, I would prefer to see one of the alternative proposals which had been thrown about at one time or another. This alternative proposal would have a new Madison Square Garden be built using the 9th avenue side of the Farley building, allowing for a new Penn station to be built where the original had been. Obviously all the details of this proposal weren’t necessarily released, and due to tax breaks which the garden would lose if they moved, I think this proposal is unlikely to materialize.
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