The Far West Side (did I just name a neighborhood?) from 10th Avenue west to 12th Avenue and from the high 20s north to West 34th will be the locus of new development in the upcoming decade, as the long-planned Hudson Yards development begins to take shape on trainyards used by a variety of lines just west of Penn Station. The #7 Flushing Line will be extended west and south to 11th Avenue and West 34th Street to serve what will be a new mixed-use office building and residential area.
A walk through the area tends to be a snoozer, as 10th and 11th are still fairly quiet except for, of course, busy traffic, especially around the Lincoln Tunnel area. I spotted some businesses here that may succumb once the big money comes flying in.
At 10th near West 35th I spotted 2 handsomely hand-lettered signs for Veteran’s Chair Caning and Repair. The business claims to be one of just a couple remaining in New York that can repair cane and wicker chairs.
Their video, “Twilight Becomes Night” is an elegy of sorts of proprietary businesses in NYC. “The city could do something to allow small businesses to thrive, but they won’t.” On that Youtube link, see other videos showing how chair re-caning is done.
One of the relatively few apartment buidlings on 10th Avenue north of West 35th and south of West 42nd.
460 West 34th at 10th Avenue. A number of businesses relocate to office space on the Far West Side because rents tend to be lower. Will that trend reverse when Hudson Yards is built?
There are a pair of taxi pit stops on 10th between West 34th and West 35th that like Veteran’s Chair Caning & Repair would have to be considered in jeopardy once the big money enters the area.
Both of those window clocks look like they have seen 7 decades of service, at least. The signs are modern, but of a certain vintage. You can tell by the fact that there are no misspellings. I don’t like to be obnoxious about that but it’s true.
9/18/12