Sunday, April 20, 2014
What's left of the 1964 World's Fair
From the NY Times:
All paths once led to the Unisphere, a magnet for the masses.
As the symbolic center of the 1964 New York World’s Fair, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, the 140-foot-tall globe drew 51 million people to its fountains in 12 bustling months over two years.
Visitors came there on honeymoons or first dates. Some found their way in through well-worn holes in the fence, or rode the subway alone for the first time. Others came to work, or came to protest.
Fifty years ago on April 22, the first fairgoers arrived to see the future. Little did they know, then, how one trip to the fair — or dozens — would affect their own lives.
Few of the physical structures remain. The renovated Queens Museum occupies the cavernous New York City Pavilion, first built for the 1939 World’s Fair and still housing the diorama of New York created for the ’64-’65 one. The Philip Johnson-designed New York State Pavilion is rusting with neglect. The Singer Bowl has morphed into Louis Armstrong Stadium, where United States Open tennis matches are played every summer.
Only the 700,000-pound, stainless-steel globe stands untarnished by time and enhanced by memory.
12 comments:
Please turn out to be part of the 50th anniversary this Tuesday - there is a local group of volunteers who have spruced up and painted the NYS Pavilion for several years to stem the tide of time. The group is seeking any (non-monetary)to have the private sector or Govt refurbish the NYS Pavilion and find a re-purposing use of the pavilion to benefit the public. Come out see what's going on at the Pavilion and elsewhere - there will be quite a few organizations there as well! Happy Easter everyone!
I remember going to the fair with my high school, walking down the ramp from the Willets Point subway stop and that's about it. Nothing, absolutely nothing about my visit to the fair left an impression - except walking down that ramp. I walk around the fair's remnants now and scratch my head saying "I saw this?"
I was bored out of my gourd.
I couldn't wait to go home and do something else. Never returned. Completely off my radar.
tear it down and turn it back into park parkland
What public purpose would a rebuilt "Tent of Tomorrow" and "Observation Towers" have?
Lools like somebody fed the NY Times some bullshit or the reporter is a moron.
What does the NY Times mean the "globe" stands untarnished ?
It has LOTS of corrosion around all it fasteners and joints. So much so a cable disconnected a wile back. All its electrical fixtures are rotted away. For those who dont remember the continents on the Unisphere have city's that light up. Its a simple fix with today's inexpensive low voltage LED technology but I guess the dopes dont know that. ---or what a LED module is.
To do this use the structure as a common negative ground and run a single 12V DC supply wires to the LEDs.
(3 wires if you want to use a controller for changing colors) With LEDs you only need a 12 volt at 12 or so amps to light every city up brighter the originally. Today's LEDs can change colors (use for holidays perhaps) and last 300,000 hours !!
I'm gonna see id I can talk with Melinda Katz Tuesday at the NYS Pavillion reception.
What public purpose would a rebuilt "Tent of Tomorrow" and "Observation Towers" have?
Its perfect for Google, they been looking to give places like NYC free long range Wifi and wireless broadband. The towers and tent would be perfect for tiny cigar box sized directional radio beacons in a circle that would enable all of Queens with just a couple watts.
It be a drop in the bucket and no-brainer for Google.
-remember you heard this here from me first !!
"by Liz Robbins"
Why is the NY Times using a sportswriter/European historian NOT EVEN FROM NEW YORK to cover Queens history piece ?
"What public purpose....."
In some cities, people go up into a high place and look out. Think Empire State Building, Eifel Tower, Seattle space needle etc. Is there something wrong with doing something like that, while also trying to save a piece of Queens history, which clearly is both hard to find and disappearing fast?
Who wants to go up 200+ feet to look at Queens in 2014 ?
In another 5-10 years you wont be able to see the NYC skyline from Flushing Meadow. Only a sea of bland brick boxes
Queens History? As a pavilion for two years, a roller skating rink for another year or two, and as a ruin for 40 years. If that's our history, that's sad, very sad. I would want to put it out of its misery.
Who in their right mind would make a trip to Corona to rise to the soaring height of 226 feet?
People go to Corona in large numbers to play ball, bike, go to the zoo, go to the science museum already. I think a lot of them would spend a few bucks for the 226 feet.
Yes, I think the history of both Fairs is significant, and the structure is iconic. I think it's sad that we have such a pitiful set of remaining structures from two Fairs-which were essentially world-wide historic events.
It's a weird double standard in this blog that we bemoan how Manhattan tries to preserve its structures and how Queens doesn't, then we say that the structures are not worth saving.
Let's raze the Steinway Mansion too, because its in an industrial area. Let's scrap the Unisphere because it has corrosion. While we're at it, let's bulldoze the Bowne house and the Riker house.
Post a Comment