Yesterday I mentioned all the reasons why the return to workplace was not going so effectively right here within the US (at the same time as RTO does significantly better in Europe). I spent a whole lot of time criticizing the sorry state of U.S. infrastructure as one of many many elements driving the reluctance to surrender WFH.
It doesn’t should be this fashion.
Again in 2018, I discussed my private infrastructure was improving. Somewhat than simply deal with the unfavorable, let’s focus on the positives which have proven up not too long ago within the state of transportation and public amenities over the previous 5 years:
LaGuardia Airport: It could shock you to study that America’s worst airport is now its finest.1 It took an enormous rethink of La Guardia – an growing old, dingy native airport on a slender strip of land between Sheepshead Bay and the Grand Central Parkway with out sufficient room for planes to maneuver and drivers to choose up and drop off passengers. The result’s a wild success. Certain, it’s expensive, however that’s what occurs whenever you enable issues to fester. It’s not even completed but, and folks have been raving concerning the enhancements, all of which have taken place whereas the airport continued to function. Greatest quote about from a brand new arrival: “I believe we got here to the incorrect airport.”
LIRR Grand Central Station: It’s been within the works for many years and I don’t wish to take into consideration the fee overruns, however now that it’s open it’s a recreation changer for Lengthy Island commuters. It’s huge, stunning, well-lit, well-signed, and goes to alter the business actual property image on the East facet of Manhattan for the foreseeable future. As soon as once more I’ve to surprise why we waited so lengthy to decide to this venture
Penn Station: A perennial shithole following the destruction of the as soon as magnificent Pennsylvania Station in 1963, the LIRR’s house station is lastly getting the makeover it deserves. Excessive ceilings large areas vastly improved signage and a basic well-thought out improve is making New York’s worst prepare terminal significantly better. Or it lasts the enchantment of the LIRR Grand Central Station and even the magnificent (Jackie Onassis saved) GCS. But it surely’s an enormous and wildly overdue enchancment.
UBS Enviornment Queens: The most recent addition to live entertainment in New York is sort of spectacular. A lot of the work was done in the course of the pandemic lockdown. “Made for music, constructed for hockey. Dwelling of the New York Islanders.”
There are such a lot of different tasks we may focus on, a lot of that are almost full: Second Avenue Subway, all the interstate freeway repaving (accomplished 20 years late), Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the lengthy overdue bridge repairs, computerized tolls for tunnels, and so on.
What’s superb about all these amenities just isn’t that they’re huge and exquisite and environment friendly however that we had been misled into believing that America may not construct issues like this.
Beforehand:
Of Course WFH is “Really Working” (March 29, 2023)
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1. I’ve not too long ago been to airports in Dallas, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Phoenix. All of those are in pretty first rate form having been renovated in some unspecified time in the future over the previous 20 years. Maybe it’s my recency bias or simply how terrible the previous one was however, hey all pale in comparison with the brand new La Guardia.