New New York: a city transformed

New York is one of the world’s most exciting tourist destinations. In the current Travel feature, Spotlight correspondent ­Claudia Hellmann shows us a city going through a period of great change. Listen to an excerptAuszugexcerpt from the article and try to answer this question. What is the name of New York’s newest neighborhoodStadtviertelneighbourhood and where is it located?

Even for a city like New York, which has constant change in its DNA, these are extremely eventful times. Change can be seen all over the place, which makes traveling to New York now especially exciting. If you haven’t been to Manhattan recently, you’ll be surprised by all that’s new.

New neighborhood: Hudson Yards

It’s not every day that a new neighborhood is created from from scratchvon Grund auf, ganz neuscratch, but this is exactly what has been happening on the Far West Side of Midtown Manhattan. What’s now the new Hudson Yards development used to be a grittydüstergritty area of the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, one of Manhattan’s last undeveloped areas. It was — and still is — mainly home to an enormous Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) rail yardBahnbetriebswerkrail yard. Few visitors ever went there unlessaußer, es sei dennunless they were attending a conference at the Javits Convention Center to the north of today’s Hudson Yards. Located on the ­Hudson River, roughly between 30th and 40th Streets, the development has been years, if not decades, in the making. The Yards’ eastern part opened in spring, with the western half expected to be finished in 2024.

New York’s newest neighbourhood is called Hudson Yards and is located on the Hudson River, roughly between 30th and 40th Streets. Continue listening to the recording and try to answer this question. What unusual structure is described as being on the plaza in the heart of the Hudson Yards?

The 28-acreMorgen (4.047 m2)acre site — an area equal to 16 soccer fields that was once considered for a sports stadium — has turned into what has been described as the largest mixed-use private real estate (N. A m.)Immobilien-real estate project in the country’s history. That it’s still nowhere near finished becomes clear the minute you exit the 34th Street–Hudson Yards subway (N. A m.)U-Bahnsubway station.

As you look up at the gleamingglänzend, schimmerndgleaming high-riseHochhaushigh-rises reaching into the sky, you’ll see others that are still under construction. Noise fills the air: the to bangknallenbanging of metal, the to hisszischen, fauchenhissing of machines, the shouts of workers, the to beeppiepenbeeping of trucks. At the coffee stand outside the subway station, businesspeople in smart clothes stand in line with workers in orange vestWestevests and hard hatHelm, Schutzhelmhard hats.

Despite the ongoing construction, the heart of Hudson Yards is finished. Your eyes are immediately drawn to an enormous tree-linedgesäumtlined plazaPlatzplaza dominated by an unusual structure: the Vessel by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, which looks like an M. C. Escher fantasy come to life. The copper-cladkupferkaschiertcopper-clad steel structure of 154 interlockedineinandergreifend, miteinander verbundeninterlocked flight of stairsTreppenfluchtflights of stairs (2,500 steps in total) and walkwayFußwegwalkways offers a fabulous view over Hudson Yards and across the river. Tickets are free, but it’s best to reserve them online well ahead of your visit for a good entry time.

The unusual structure on the plaza in the heart of the Hudson Yards is known as the Vessel. It’s a copper-clad steel structure consisting of flights of stairs and walkways. Now listen to the final part of the recording. What is expected to be one of the biggest highlights at Hudson Yards when it opens in March?

To the left of this is the shedSchuppenShed, a casual-soundinglässig, salopp klingendcasual-­sounding name for what is the city’s latest hip (ifml.)angesagt, schickhip performance center. The exterior, covered in what looks like opaqueundurchsichtig, milchigopaque white cushions, similar in style to the Allianz Arena in Munich, provides a soft contrast to the Vessel. In addition to shopping (much of it high-end) and dining (much of it celebrity-chef), the biggest highlight at Hudson Yards will be the Edge observation deckAussichtsplattformobservation deck, expected to open in March. The triangulardreieckigtriangular platform to jut outherausragen, hervorstehenjuts out from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards — at 387 meters, the supertall skyscraper is among the tallest in the city. The Edge will provide yet another high-altitudeHöhen-altitude place from which to enjoy views across New York and beyondaußerhalbbeyond. At a height of 335 meters, the outdoor, glass-walled observation deck promises to be the highest in the western hemisphere, rivaling those of the ­Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and One World Observatory. It will also have a glass floor, allowing visitors to enjoy the busy city from an unusual perspective. It’s worth going below ground, too: if you like EatalyWortschöpfung aus „eat“ und „Italy“Eataly, the Italian marketplace and food hall in Midtown, you’ll love Hudson Yards’ Mercado Little Spain with its many Spanish cafés, restaurants, and food stands.

While Hudson Yards is impressive, it doesn’t yet have a neighborhood feel and has been criticized as a “billionaireMilliardär(in)billionaire’s fantasy” and “architecture as luxury branding,” as well as a “gated communitybewachte Wohnanlagegated community for the 0.1 percent.” Maybe the people who live in this new neighborhood will breathe some life into an area that still feels almost too shiny to be real.  

When it opens in March, the Edge is expected to be one of the biggest highlights at Hudson Yards. This outdoor observation deck will be the highest in the western hemisphere and will have a glass floor, allowing visitors to look down on the city below.