As Developers Reach for the Sky, New Yorkers Lose Their Access to the Sun

While much attention has been paid to the stunning views that NYC's new skyscrapers offer their affluent tenants, the effects on those left in their shadow are rarely discussed.

1 minute read

December 22, 2013, 7:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"Having to live in someone else’s shadow is one of the risks of being a New Yorker," observes Cara Buckley. "Yet for untold thousands, this vexing state of affairs is literally true. In a city forever sprouting new buildings, the quest to reach higher often comes at the cost of stealing somebody else’s light."

"While the short-term effects of this are aggravating enough — rare is the person who enjoys living alongside a construction site — the long-term effects feel grimmer when people end up losing their view and their light. It spills to the streets, ending languorous hours whiled away on sunny stoops or sun-brightened gardens, as happened near 150 Charles."


Thursday, December 19, 2013 in The New York Times

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