# Why New Yorkers Hate Their New Skyscraper Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eZt9D27TTk Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/0eZt9D27TTk Generated: 2025-08-27T14:33:35.012+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview New York's supertall skyscrapers, like 262 Fifth Avenue, are built with a "fat-tail" design to maximize financial returns, often featuring large, column-free apartments that command premium prices, but this approach can lead to "zombie urbanism" and problems like vortex shedding, impacting the city's character and infrastructure. **Key Points:** - 262 Fifth Avenue is a 262-meter-tall, ultra-thin skyscraper in New York City designed with a "fat-tail" approach to maximize financial returns for developers. - The building features 26 apartments, with each full floor or expansive duplex averaging 3,200 square feet. - Its extreme width-to-height ratio (1:19) is designed to mitigate "vortex shedding," a phenomenon where wind can cause tall buildings to sway, by incorporating a gap to allow airflow. - The "fat-tail" design and the desire for large, column-free residences are driven by investor demand for luxury properties, leading to fewer units and higher prices. - This trend contributes to "zombie urbanism," where properties are owned but not occupied, exacerbating the city's housing crisis and potentially leading to "empty" spaces within the urban fabric. - The building's core, containing mechanics, lifts, and stairs, is pushed to the side to maximize living space and views, a design choice that prioritizes profit over potentially broader community benefits. - The high cost of construction and the limited number of units mean these buildings primarily serve as investment assets for the ultra-wealthy, rather than addressing the broader need for affordable housing. ![Screenshot at 00:00: An aerial view of the New York City skyline, showcasing numerous skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, setting the scene for the discussion on new construction.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-00.png) **Context:** The video discusses the design and implications of ultra-thin skyscrapers in New York City, exemplified by 262 Fifth Avenue. It highlights how the "fat-tail" architectural approach, prioritizing maximum living space and views for high-paying residents, is driven by capitalist demands and the desire for significant financial returns. This approach raises concerns about "zombie urbanism" and the city's housing crisis, as these luxury towers often house few people relative to their size and cost, potentially impacting the city's character and affordability. ## Detailed Analysis The video examines the architectural trend of "ultra-thin" skyscrapers in New York City, using 262 Fifth Avenue as a prime example. This building stands at 262 meters tall and features a "fat-tail" design, meaning its base is wider than its top, a strategy employed by developers to maximize financial returns. The building will contain only 26 apartments, with each unit occupying a full floor or a duplex, averaging 3,200 square feet each. This design choice is driven by the demand for expansive, column-free residences that offer desirable views, leading to a width-to-height ratio of 1:19. To address potential structural issues like "vortex shedding" caused by wind-induced sway in such tall, slender structures, the building incorporates a gap about two-thirds of the way up, designed to allow airflow and reduce lateral forces. However, the video points out that this approach, while financially lucrative for developers, contributes to "zombie urbanism" – properties that are owned but largely unoccupied, exacerbating New York's housing crisis. The limited number of units and high price points, reportedly starting at $16 million per apartment with an expected gross net income of $70 million from sales of 100 units (or $416 million for all 26), mean these towers primarily serve as investment vehicles for the ultra-wealthy, rather than providing much-needed housing for the general population. The core of the building, housing essential services like mechanics, lifts, and stairs, is pushed to the side to maximize the usable living space, a decision that prioritizes profit over maximizing the number of residents or potentially preserving the city's character and affordability. ### Introduction to Ultra-Thin Skyscrapers - Focus on 262 Fifth Avenue as an example of 'fat-tail' design driven by capitalist demands and investor returns. ### Architectural Design and Engineering - Discusses the 1:19 width-to-height ratio, the 'vortex shedding' mitigation strategy via a mid-building gap, and the core structure being off-center to maximize living space. ### Economic Implications - Highlights the high price points ($16 million per apartment, $416 million gross net income for all units) and the focus on wealthy buyers, contributing to the housing crisis and 'zombie urbanism'. ### Critique of Urban Development - Contrasts the profit-driven nature of these buildings with the needs of the broader population and the potential impact on New York's character and affordability. ![Screenshot at 00:00: An aerial view of the New York City skyline, showcasing numerous skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, setting the scene for the discussion on new construction.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-00.png) ![Screenshot at 00:05: A graphic displaying the phrase 'KEY RULES' within a circle, indicating a list of important principles or guidelines to be presented.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-05.png) ![Screenshot at 00:07: A man speaking directly to the camera, holding up one finger to emphasize the first point, with text overlay 'MAKE SURE YOU FIT IN AND ADD VALUE'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-07.png) ![Screenshot at 00:12: The man holding up two fingers, with text overlay 'ALL STYLE AND NO SUBSTANCE IS A RECIPE FOR BACKLASH'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-12.png) ![Screenshot at 00:17: A nighttime aerial view of the New York City skyline, highlighting numerous illuminated skyscrapers, illustrating the dense urban landscape.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-17.png) ![Screenshot at 00:23: The man holding up three fingers, with text overlay 'DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO WHAT THE TEAM BEHIND NEW YORK'S LATEST SKYSCRAPER IS DOING'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-23.png) ![Screenshot at 00:37: A nighttime panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, showcasing the dense concentration of illuminated buildings.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-37.png) ![Screenshot at 00:43: An aerial shot of the New York skyline at sunset, featuring the Empire State Building and other prominent skyscrapers.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-43.png) ![Screenshot at 00:47: An aerial view of Manhattan skyscrapers, with the text 'BILLIONAIRES' ROW' prominently displayed, referring to a prestigious street known for luxury residences.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-47.png) ![Screenshot at 00:49: A view of Central Park with the Manhattan skyline in the background at sunset, illustrating the interplay between nature and the urban environment in the city's design landscape.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/0eZt9D27TTk/00-00-49.png)