Trylon and Perisphere (1939); Unisphere (1964)
The Trylon and Perisphere were built for the 1939-40 World's Fair. The Unisphere (still standing in Queens) was built for the 1964-65 World's Fair. It's not enough for New York City…
ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure)
"ULURP ("you lurp!") is the "Uniform Land Use Review Procedure" that goes before City Planning, the borough presidents, and the community boards. Real estate is very…
Umpire Rock (Central Park)
Wikipedia: Rat Rock (Central Park)Rat Rock, also known as Umpire Rock, is an outcrop of Manhattan schist which protrudes from the bedrock in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City. It is named…
UnConvention Center (Pier 94)
Pier 94 is on the west side of Manhattan, at 54th Street. It used to be a garage, but since 1998 it has been the "UnConvention Center," a mini-Javits Convention Center.…
Vietnam (Morrisania Air Rights buildings)
Morrisania Air Rights is a public housing project of three buildings in Melrose and Morrisania in the Bronx. The buildings were contructed over Metro-North Railroad tracks and the project was…
Vitamin N (nature)
"Vitamin N" -- for "nature" was popularized by Richard Louv in his book, The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder (2011). Louv stated that…
Waffle Iron (432 Park Avenue)
The building called 432 Park Avenue, at 56th Street in Manhattan, was completed in 2015 and immediately became the tallest residential building in the world. The 432 Park Avenue building has had a…
Waldorf of Harlem (Hotel Theresa, now Theresa Towers)
The Hotel Theresa opened in 1913 at Seventh Avenue, between 124th and 125th Streets. The Harlem hotel ended its racial segregation policy in 1940. The Theresa quickly became the most important…
Walk-Up Apartment
A "walk-up" apartment has no elevator. (Oxford English Dictionary)walk-up, a. and n.A. adj. 1. Of an apartment, etc.: that has to be reached by stairs rather than by a lift. Also applied…
Wedding Cake of the West Side (The Ansonia)
The Ansonia is a residential building in Manhattan at 2109 Broadway, between West 73rd and West 74th Streets. It originally opened in 1904 as the Ansonia Hotel. According to Women's Wear Daily…
White Glove Building
A "white glove building" is a building with a doorman or concierge who wears white gloves. Some people think the term is for an ultraclean building that passes the "white glove…
World Trade Center; Twin Towers
The name "World Trade Center" has been cited since at least 1960 and "Twin Towers" has been cited in print since at least 1964. The World Trade Center opened in 1973 and was…
World’s Most Famous Arena (Madison Square Garden nickname)
Madison Square Garden is "The World's Most Famous Arena." Another, older nickname for Madison Square Garden (originally used in previous Madison Square Garden buildings, such as the…
XYZ Buildings
The "XYZ Buildings" are the three big boxes near Rockefeller Center on the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue). Architecture critic Paul Goldberger wrote that they'll never be…
Yellow Brick Brewery (old Metropolitan Opera House at 39th Street)
The Metropolitan Opera House was located on 1411 Broadway in Manhattan, at 39th Street; it opened in 1883 and was demolished in 1967, after the opening of the new opera house at Lincoln Center in…
Zebra (420 West 42nd Street)
The building at 420 West 42 Street has stripes, so it's known as the "Zebra" building. "Oreo" is another nickname that has been used for it. http://www.420w42.com/…
Zombtree (Zombie Tree)
Hurricane Sandy, in October 2012, left many damaged and dead trees in the New York City area. Residents complained to city departments that the dead trees posed a threat of falling over or breaking…