{"id":386527,"date":"2021-12-28T02:35:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T23:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/new-yorks-rockefeller-center-at-christmas-is-a-mess\/"},"modified":"2021-12-28T02:35:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T23:35:26","slug":"new-yorks-rockefeller-center-at-christmas-is-a-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/new-yorks-rockefeller-center-at-christmas-is-a-mess\/","title":{"rendered":"#New York&#8217;s Rockefeller Center at Christmas is a mess"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#New York&#8217;s Rockefeller Center at Christmas is a mess<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--columnist inline-module--author\">\n<div class=\"inline-module--author__img\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"76\" height=\"69\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/nicole-gelinas.png?w=76&amp;h=69&amp;crop=1\" class=\"attachment-nyp_columnist size-nyp_columnist\" alt=\"Nicole Gelinas\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/nicole-gelinas.png 76w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/nicole-gelinas.png?w=38 38w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 76px) 100vw, 76px\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Will New York\u00a0<em>ever<\/em>\u00a0get Rockefeller Center right? For the third Christmas since Mayor Bill de Blasio took a half-measure \u2014 closing 49th\u00a0and 50th\u00a0streets \u2014 New York\u2019s premier public space remains an incoherent mess.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor-elect Eric Adams can do better, so that if more foreign tourists return next winter, they\u2019ll find something besides total confusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>De Blasio was right, in 2019, to close off the cross streets near the tree from early November to mid-January (thank you, sir!). With 800,000 people\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/12\/22\/nyregion\/a-new-york-holiday-tradition-to-count-on-big-crowds.html\">coming<\/a>\u00a0each day \u2014 rivaling the 900,000 people who, pre-COVID, drove into Manhattan below 60th\u00a0Street daily \u2014 the crowds no longer fit on the sidewalks.<\/p>\n<p>Christmas 2019 was\u00a0<em>much<\/em>\u00a0better, as businesspeople and shoppers could coexist with people taking pictures. The city also moved the mid-block crosswalks on Fifth Avenue to the corners, improving pedestrian movement.<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019ve had two COVID Christmases to take advantage of sparse crowds to make more ambitious fixes.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the city and Tishman Speyer, which manages the real estate, make head-scratching decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s transportation department never moved the mid-block crosswalks on Sixth Avenue to the corners, and the NYPD\u00a0<em>still<\/em>\u00a0uses metal barriers to close them for the season.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"People watch as the 79-foot tall Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives at Rockefeller Center. \" class=\"wp-image-20632283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People watch as the 79-foot tall Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP \/ Dieu-Nalio Chery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Giving people\u00a0<em>less<\/em>\u00a0room to cross when there are\u00a0<em>more<\/em>\u00a0people around has never made sense. Funneling crowds to cross at the south side of 49th\u00a0and 50th, rather than letting them cross at all corners, undoes some of the good deed of closing 49th\u00a0and 50th. It re-bunches everyone together.<\/p>\n<p>And now, the NYPD greets people coming from Fifth Avenue with a giant sign warning you to \u201cSECURE FROM THEFT\u201d your wallet and other riches.<\/p>\n<p>If thieves are such a plague, the police should arrest them, and DAs should prosecute them. (The police did arrest one chronic thief \u2014 only to see him walk free.) The sign makes it seem like the city has abdicated its responsibility to keep visitors safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The city also inexplicably litters 49th\u00a0and 50th\u00a0streets with metal barriers. The barriers are not directing people any which way. They\u2019re just . . . there.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"People pose for photos as they take part in Christmas Day activities as they gather at Rockefeller Center.\" class=\"wp-image-20632285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People pose for photos as they take part in Christmas Day activities as they gather at Rockefeller Center.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP \/ Craig Ruttle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now, Tishman is borrowing the city\u2019s bad habits. For the second year, it has blocked the big plaza to the west of the tree (with, of course, junky metal barriers), rather than secure the tree with a sturdy fence (and guards), which worked fine for 88 years.<\/p>\n<p>So commuters can no longer walk mid-block from 51st\u00a0to 48th\u00a0streets but must detour to an avenue. It also means you can\u2019t walk\u00a0<em>through<\/em>\u00a030 Rock on a cold day (you can hack this by walking through the J.Crew).<\/p>\n<p>Tishman is also creating uncomfortable crowding where none exists. On the east side of the tree, it\u2019s thrown up two layers of metal barriers to obstruct the view of the skating rink. Why?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On the south side, it\u2019s blocked the walking corridor to and from Fifth Avenue so that people who have bought $6 churros can sit in a little hut and not be bothered by people who don\u2019t have $6.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The huts are cute (try it!), and the overlook churro shelters are a nice idea \u2014 but with three views of the rink blocked, that means people congregate on the north side, which must serve as a viewing area\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0the only west-east pathway. Block off one view, fine, but not three out of four.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tishman has also used metal barriers to create a maze on this only usable north side \u2014 just because.<\/p>\n<p>This is uncomfortable, even with a tiny crowd. It won\u2019t work at all if we get close to normal crowds next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"People reflected in a storefront window take part in traditional Christmas Day activities as they gather at Rockefeller Center.\" class=\"wp-image-20632284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/rockefeller-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People gather at Rockefeller Center on Christmas Day. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP \/ Craig Ruttle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bryant Park manages to do stuff like cozy eating hideaways without blocking off foot thoroughfares (or erecting abstract metal-barrier sculptures).<\/p>\n<p>This spatial illiteracy deters people who live and work in the area from spending time there \u2014 not a good thing when only a fraction of office workers are back.<\/p>\n<p>Why not spend 2022 redesigning 49th\u00a0and 50th\u00a0as permanent pedestrian streets, protected by retractable poles rather than ugly movable barriers? Retractable poles would allow for morning deliveries and, for most of the year, buses.<\/p>\n<p>Then, work with Tishman and restaurants and stores to bring fun to the two streets and official entertainment to crowd out the Elmos while keeping pathways clear.<\/p>\n<p>And let people cross Sixth Avenue at crosswalks!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Next to murder and mayhem, prettifying Rockefeller Center is probably No. 3,338 on Adams\u2019 list.<\/p>\n<p>But making a pleasant space would be easy and cheap \u2014 and he will need to boast of an easy, cheap accomplishment soon enough.<\/p>\n<p><em>Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute\u2019s City Journal.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/12\/27\/new-yorks-rockefeller-center-at-christmas-is-a-mess\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#New York&#8217;s Rockefeller Center at Christmas is a mess&#8221; Will New York\u00a0ever\u00a0get Rockefeller Center right? For the third Christmas since Mayor Bill de Blasio took a half-measure \u2014 closing 49th\u00a0and 50th\u00a0streets \u2014 New York\u2019s premier public space remains an incoherent mess. Mayor-elect Eric Adams can do better, so that if more foreign tourists return next&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":386528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/newspress-collage-20631792-1640645621412.png?w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[122680,5042,81020,66147,5044,81023],"class_list":["post-386527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-27-21","tag-bill-de-blasio","tag-christmas-in-rockefeller-center","tag-eric-adams","tag-nypd","tag-rockefeller-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}