Why This Iconic New York Building Is Empty
New York is transforming one of its most iconic but rarely-seen towers.
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Research sources - www.timessquarenyc.org/histor...
s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/...
www.curbed.com/2022/05/one-ti...
newyorkyimby.com/2022/06/bill...
old.skyscraper.org/EXHIBITION...
Special thanks to Michael Phillips and Jamestown LP. Footage and images courtesy of Jamestown LP, Museum of the City of New York, Archive.org, Library of Congress, Newspapers.com, The Dronalist, and The New York Times photo archive.
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For those asking our Times Square ads were run to raise awareness of mental health in construction as part of our “Get Construction Talking” initiative, founded by Fred Mills, The B1M and Procore. More info here 👉 www.theb1m.com/article/new-york-construction-mental-health-awareness-campaign
Hey B1M can you do a video on the best or biggest building in my favorite country isreal?
Fred Mills should have his own brass statue in Times Square
When is this project slated to be completed
I’m sure Procore is all about the wellbeing of construction workers’ mental health. lol
0:03 of the worlt?
So they've turned an empty building covered in adverts on the outside into a building covered in adverts on the inside and outside? 🤔
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING ISN'T IT!
'Murica. Shallow on the outside, shallow on the inside too.
poor NYC. all eyes on gov admins now. state and city officials. public policy. law & order. population health. NYC is among top worst in America 2024
Oklahoma city has 5 times the homicide rate of NYC, funnily enough.
... For a measly half BIL. 😮
I work in Times Square on the graveyard shift. These guys are doing a great job of working with minimal disruption to the surrounding area. Well done.
Piccadilly Circus isn't pedestrianised ..
@philsblogs8527 they took the roundabout out year ago, making a partial pedestrian area.
@charlespreiss3426. I grew up in NYC in the 70's, but live in the UK now. NYC holds many memories for me, smells included. The steam from the manholes in the streets had a distinctive odour I can recall to this day. The subway also had a unique smell, but the Times Square station (where I would take the 7 train to and from my home in Woodside) stands out in my head as having its own subway smell for some reason. I wonder if it still smells like I remember. 🤣
Work there as well. Tishman?
I'd like to ask for your honest opinion for visiting NYC - is it worth it right now with all the crime and homelessness they report? I;ve been a few times already and worked near Times square in '14. I'm looking for a weekend break to reminisce - from the UK - Cheers!
I’m a little shocked that it took till recently for the owners to realize it’s the perfect location for a tourist trap and selfie locale, news reports and KZhead videos. Outside elevators sound fun. If done right it could earn money and make patrons excited and happy. Good video as usual, thanks!
Reminds me of Chicago's SkyDeck
Issue is permits and legal stuff, takes forever in NY
It's an outgrowth of the city rebuilding the subway station underneath it which was in planning for decades. The city bought a forever lease in One Times Square for elevator access for the disabled. That makes the building a direct connection to the subway line and changes the economics. Millions of people per year are going to get right off the subway directly into the building.
@@halycon404 Didn't know that. appreciate the heads up! So the subway will finally be able to be accessed by those in wheelchairs and mobility issues ? Any idea the timeline for the completion of the elevator access?
@@westnblu It's been open for a year now.
7:12 the fact that the horrible 'makeover' that rid the building of all of its gorgeous historic details happened in the 1960s out of all decades is no surprise to me.
Welcome to the era of Brutalism, indeed.
Blame that on its principal tenant at the time (1963), *Allied Chemical.* Where is that company today? Do they still exist? Update: Apparently not. Allied put the building up for sale in 1972 and bought the farm in 1985.
@CookyMonzta hate to be a corporate shill but Allied developed a lot of work that went nowhere, and a lot of work that's still used in the modern day. Fuel, heat exchangers, they did the whole lot.
In this case the new building is more iconic than the old one. They could recreate Old Times Square somewhere else tho, it was gorgeous for sure
@@MayaPoschwasn’t even brutalist. It was in the “international” style.
It's hard to believe how much Times Square has changed since I first saw it as a child of New York in the 1950's. I'm now in my 70's and living in Los Angeles but I hope to be around long enough to see it change a few more times.
That's awesome. I first went to Times Square in the early '90s and remember how sketchy it was. I went back in summer 2016 and I was blown away at how much NYC had cleaned up, and just how safe it felt. Wandering the streets of manhattan in the middle of the night was awesome and would've seemed unheard of a couple decades earlier.
Youll be here!
The fact that cars still drive there is mad. In any other city on the planet this would have been a pedestrian zone.
@@FrickYourHandlewould be better
Murica
plenty of pedestrian zones, wide bike lanes , & too many wide bus lanes, cameras at every corner charging you tolls to drive 5 feet. Homeless fentanyl addicts & illegal aliens with more money in their pocket then the homeless vets at every corner. 👍🏻
America is very car dependent country, the cars would be driving on the roofs if its possible haha
You're thinking logically here mate, this is the US we are talking about.. Cars are superior to pedestrians
We used to go to a bar/ restaurant near the top of the building, back in the 1970’s.
Damn that first building was beautiful. Modern architects needs to step it up.
I guess it makes sense that it's becoming a shrine to advertising media itself
I prefer the original facade, missed opportunity.
It was ugly as hell
Blame the 1960s. They ruined the building then and it was unsalvageable after that. This is about the best you could do
Pass by Times Square on my commute everyday and been seeing its progress; happy to see it mentioned here by the B1M!
I had no idea this was happening. Absolutely loved the video. Great work, as always, The B1M. Thank you. :)
Great upload as always mate. Keep it up!
Thanks so much!!
@@TheB1MThe renovation of One Time square wasn’t proposed in 2022 it was proposed in September 2017
I never knew that 1 Times Square was empty! I thought it would be prime real estate!
You can tell the love B1M has for new york when they teach NYC-ers NYC history.
Another incredible video, as always!!
Nice job B1M, always love your work ❤
Always awesome content I always watch . Keep on keeping on, your friend from NYC 🍎
In 2010 I got to go up to the 7th floor to work on a new video screen. It was accessible by a hidden-in-plain-sight elevator tucked away inside Walgreens. Very cool experience!
Right on. Thanks for sharing.
I was literally there 2 months ago and yeah, that area is pretty much construction all around but that hasn't stopped the chaos one bit! Truly the city that never sleeps!
I work a few blocks from 1 Times Square and seeing this transformation is amazing. On the odd occasion I'd see some work going on there, but it's all very subtle.
Was watching the lates video about Faroe island. And oh look at this new video, perfect timing!
That’s so cool I gotta go to New York City now maybe in 2027 . Love your work B1M.
epic video again, impressed, try to keep this quality it's awesome, friendly and better than previous as was the last video you posted! :)
Great channel, and most excelent post. Just dawned on me that I lived in NYC for fourteen years, and never set foot in Times Square at night! Never visited Liberty Island either... I suppose those are basically for tourism entertainment.
Incredible looking wow
With how much money they must be making from those ads I dont think they need a tenet 😂
The ads and the ball might be helping to pay for the buildings renovations.
Still though, having the building be empty does feel like a bit of a waste
I doubt they have any tenets beyond making money.
While it's sad to see a Gothic tower remodelled beyond all recognition, to be fair, that ship sailed along time ago so whatever you do to it now really doesn't make much of an architectural/historical impact to whatever 70's trend was left behind the billboards anyway. While not that original, the new concept is very tourist/revenue friendly and I fully approve. I'll stop by next time I'm in town!
fascinating never really thought about that building behind the adverts, everyday learning something new
The old footage shows how much more sunlight could reach the streets and how much more friendly it was for pedestrians and people using public transport.
I really thought it was just a "billboard wall"- had no idea a building was behind it nor that the Times once owned it! I'll make it a point to pass by there and see what's going on. Thanks for the update!
I was there visiting a few months ago. Genuinely had no idea there was construction being done lol...
How long is the amortization period on a typical sky scraper?
I am New Yorker and I had no idea this was happening, I love this channel 😃🔥
So basically they will charge people to come inside and look at a virtual Times Square with even more advertisements.
I've watched your last video which is no less than a discovery documentary
New York needs to do some serious building inspections to every single building in this city.
Been to the square since before the digital. signage stopped when it was an xxx rated zone and now I go there every time I can. just being there is thrilling
I can see how this older building will work well with a predestination traffic driven business 👍
It's crazy it took it so long to get to this point.
So excited for this video 🇺🇸🏙️
Time mark 7:08 I've always been amazed at the structural integrity (or lack there of!) in these buildings that are about 20 stories tall, yet only perhaps 25 feet wide from side to side. (See center insert at time mark above) I worked in a triangle building for a number of years, long ago, which was just a rathe small single room at it's point, but expanded to probably 100 feet across at its rear. It was certainly a different feeling than the norm. (of course I always wanted an office right on the front "point". The entrance at street level was right on the smallest, "pointed" end. It had been built in the 20's or 30's. The basement (I believe) was MUCH older. It was like a dungeon down there. Lol You had to crouch down to vet around. And there was even an old passageway than was made at some time, that went into the basement next door.
01:10 do you guys have your own B1M ad running in Times Square?
Very enjoyable as always 👍
I worked for a while at 1585 Broadway, between 47th and 48th. It was a trip working in TS.
Might be interested in the Museum & Observation Deck. Otherwise I avoided Times Square during my brief stay in NYC a couple years ago
They cover up such beautiful and well detailed architecture it’s so disappointing.
They are free to do with their own property whatever they want.
Love your content, keep it up
Hello World.. stay safe and spread peace ❤
Are you going to do a video about The Francis Scott key bridge in Baltimore?
Could have just used it as a cinema, you dont need windows and you could have seating from the pointed narrow side expanding out with a large screen on the far (bigger) side.
There are two huge theaters on the next block.
@Hii-lineGuy so the point was it's sitting empty. There's a regal, amc why not make it an imax.
Who is building new movie theaters
@@bartlett2335 Sad but true facts in 2024... Even I don't go more than once a year and I still watch movies DAILY... Just at home... Where I can swear, smoke, drink in peace and not get kicked out!
Put a bar on that setback, PLEASE, the view would be legendary and the vibes would be crazy
Keep the sweet stuff coming up, ye~s.
Wild this footage of Times Square they use is at least 4 years old
Damn, ive seen so many videos on this building that I thought I already saw this particular video before but no. It's a fresh one. And it's the B1M so of course I'm going to watch it anyways.🎉
0:33 now i know from where carl pai operates 🤣🤣😂
Love you Bro
So how much did that Ad in Time Square you showed at the end cost???
Any news on 2 WTC? 😢
Went to NYC as a tourist last month from SE Asia. I felt very unsafe at times. Lots of crimes even at daylight. NYC also is very dirty nowadays, I hope they fix these issues because NYC is very beautiful. Architecture is awe inspiring!
leftish destroyed city
Once upon a time, there was a nightclub in that building called Nirvana Club 1. It was on the floor where the recess is. I celebrated my 25th birthday there. It was magical! They need to bring that back!!!
What's going on with the concert at 7:47? Im no concrete expert but thay doesnt loook structurally sound to me.
In the 90s I worked for Morgan Stanley nearby and we did an audit of all the stock and news ticker systems around Times Square and nearby on 6th Avenue. It was an interesting educational experience for sure. What many don’t know is that the lights, billboards and screens must be kept running at all times and in fact businesses can be fined by the city for failing to do so.
How do you get the materials to the site? Make payments to the mob.
There was a multi-floor Walgreens store in the building until recently.
IT reminds me of the I0I company in Ready Player one "We estimate we can sell up to 80% of an individual visual field before inducing seizure" 😁
I could honestly go NYC again just to walk around and look up. Did all the tourist stuff which was cool... but its amazing to see what can be achieved in such tight small busy spaces
One of my favorite things to do when I lived in Queens was to visit Times Square on Friday or Saturday night when it’s at its busiest, and then visit it again early in the morning-no later than 7:00 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday morning. It is so quiet and peaceful early in those mornings and it’s an interesting thing to see & experience in comparison with the night before.
Between the cars and the advertising that place is really trying to be a monument to everything that is wrong with America.
New Year's Eve celebrations with fireworks and dynamite. New Yorkers know how to party.
How does anyone live there with all the lights? Interesting video. Thank you.
There was a ramp through it in the ps2 game midnight drive i miss those days
Amazing video as ever!!! Brilliant
This city is the pillar of our nation. Breath taking.
If they took a page out of the Burj Khalifa's book and switched the billboards out for LED arrays, then they could keep the advertisements and be able to use the windows.
It’s interesting that a company who’s business model relies on advertising affected the physical identity of the space around their original office building - making it all about ads
Fantastic video! I live in NY and did not even notice the site!
Have you done a story on that abandoned piece of out of plumb garbage at 161 Maiden Lane in NYC?
9:16 who else thought they saw an eye floater lol
More nyc Videos pls. And Miami La Chicago. But the Most Videos about nyc pls
You have explained it well. Apart from this, there are several others, such as one seaport, for which I made a video on my channel.
Fred, would anyone dare say, one times square is a giant bill board? It highlights minimum floorspace required for commercial purposes versus residential. 🌏🇦🇺
In the mid 1990’s myself and an other guy poured a very small concrete pad in the basement of the building. I remember the cops asking us where we were from 😂🇮🇪
Welcome to Costco, I love you.
So is the original frame still inside?
"Celebrated with Fireworks and dynamite..." people partied 'hard' back in the day.
10:52 How much did that cost...
MY BRAND!
Could you do a video update on the Jeddah Tower? Construction restarted last year, and seems to be continuing along smoothly.
I visited Times Square in June 2023. Hated it. No idea what people see in the place. I was constantly on my guard and came away with a headache due to all the traffic noise and pollution and all the guys smoking weed. You go to a similar square in Europe and it would be largely pedestrianised and much safer.
"Times Square sucks" "That's a lot of money to watch a bunch of primadonas kick a ball (in reference to Real Madrids Bernabeu)" "Cruise ships are a dystopian nightmare." Etc. Etc. No, dude, you are just a dull individual whose personality revolves around hating things. Ever consider just watching content based on what you like?
@@SirSayakaMikiThe3rd and you're just a hypocritical troll looking at some of your comments.
Recommended reading: _Ghosts of 42nd Street_ by Anthony Bianco and _Downtown: My Manhattan_ by Pete Hamill. Great video. When I was 11 - 13, I used to run around Times Square in the 80s. I'm used to seeing my history morph, mutate, or disappear. New design looks good.
@1:11 "Get Construction Talking"
❤
I am from Rome currently living in Malaga, but I would immediately do a switch passport to live in NYC. You are so lucky to be born here!
excellence. I'm looking forward to the adverts. I especially like posters. 🙂
When you look at One Times Square without all the signage and compare it to the Flatiron Building I think the Flatiron building is much more ascetically pleasing.
It's a real pity that such a unique bit of architecture has been reduced to being nothing more than a billboard. 😢
Is it going to save it? I didn't know it was at risk.