¶ New York City
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Index Entry
Only the old-time New Yorkers can know the great transforming dynamics and, more importantly, the city’s myriad of rich abstract resources. Because pure abstractions such as love, hate, happiness, and inspiration are as invisible as they are nonmerchandisable, all the real meaning of New York is both invisible and nonmarketed. The lucky few millions who are old-time New Yorkers usually love New York passionately-for they know not why specifically.
While the statistical voices warn us that the world population threatens to crowd itself off the Earth, it is comforting to discover that New York City’s buildings could contain the whole population of the Earth with no more crowding than that experienced at a cocktail party–not room for anyone to lie down but all under cover. New York is so knit together with underground wires, tubes, cables, and pipes–that in effect Manhattan Island could be lifted in one piece and stood upon end, its roadways and tunnels acting as its supporting columns with Battery Park on top and Harlem as its base. In such a position its subways would become elevators and its elevators subway shuttles.
¶ Citations
- WAVE TRANSFORMATION OF CITY, Y.F. Guidebook, 1964
