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A Room With A View

Jan 08, 2015
by Caroline Miller
Anne Vandermey, Park Avenue, penthouses, The High-Rise Goes Nuts
6 Comments

When I moved to my retirement center, I soon became aware that a pecking order existed between those who live on the lower floors of the building and those who live on the higher ones.  In fact, “What floor do you live on,” is the question most asked after an introduction.  Higher is presumed to be better, of course, not only because of the view it affords but also because  higher floors denote a higher the price tag. To say, “I live in the penthouse,” is a shorthand way of announcing one’s financial authority.

 In my new digs, I live on the floor above the parking garage.  I chose it because I hate elevators.  Besides, there are no good views anywhere in the building so I’d rather keep my money in my pocket.

Not surprising, this lust to climb to the top reaches excess in New York City.  Billionaires’ Row which is going up along 57th Street, features marble finishings, jaw-dropping views, and a $90 million price tag for penthouses.  In spite of the cost,  interest in living in one of these pencil thin towers continues to grow and construction now reaches all the way to Park Avenue.  In fact, the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere is at 432 Park Avenue.  The asking price for condos at this location begins at a $3.1 billion and climbs with each rise in  floor level.  (“The High-Rise Goes Nuts,” by Anne Vandermey, Fortune Magazine, December 1, 2014, pgs.  14-15.)  As author Ann Vandermey points out, with that kind of cash a person could “buy every residential property in Trenton, New Jersey —and still have money left over to buy a sixth in Toledo…” (Ibid pg. 15)

 I doubt that human nature can be weaned from its need for pecking orders and displays of extravagance, but I do wonder if the thin air in those high rises has any effect on the human brain.   Let’s not contemplate natural or unnatural disasters that could cause elevators to malfunction and require people to  tumble down 90 floors of stairs to safety.  Let’s imagine the time wasted to get from the ground floor to the penthouse.  Envision people returning home at rush hour or converging in the apartment lobby after the theater. At a modest  6 seconds per stop at each floor, the journey from earth to sky would require 15 minutes.  Add a few seconds more and the trip could extend to half an hour. 

 Living at an altitude of nearly 1500 feet may put penthouse dwellers closer to the stars but given the air pollution, the Mad Hatter would be right  to muse: “Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder where you are?” Given the danger and inconvenience of living in the clouds, I have to wonder if being at the top of the pecking order is all it’s cracked up to be.  I don’t consider a good view to be a landscape crammed with miles and miles of other buildings.  When I want scenic beauty,  I head for the beach or the mountains.  Not only is the view relaxing and healthful there, but it has another advantage.  It’s free.   

billionaires' row

Billionaire Row Courtesy of Facebook.com

 

 

 

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6 Comments
  1. Billi Odegaard January 8, 2015 at 10:10 am Reply
    I am enjoying your "musings", Carrie. I just finished "Room With A View", and thought I would let you know that I continue to be impressed with your writing and creative thinking! Have a good day. Billi
    • Caroline Miller January 8, 2015 at 11:52 am Reply
      Dear Billi, A Room With A View is a classic of western literature. To have my blogs mentioned with it in the same paragraph is, well, breathtaking. You made my day. Thank you.
  2. Judy Farrell January 8, 2015 at 4:59 pm Reply
    Hello Caroline, I am new to your blog, thanks to Billi. My mother lived on one of the lower floors of Holiday Park Plaza for many years, and my sister and I often heard the conversations related to, "What floor are you on?" many times over the years! I recently viewed a piece of tv about those outrageous high-rises in NYC.....actually, much of the time they are vacant since many upper level living spaces are purchased by folks whose main residences are in the Far East. Regular folk New Yorkers are very sad about them since they cast long premature shadows over Central Park causing large areas of the park to become shady way before the natural time. Such a wonderful city, my sister and I like to rent an apartment in Chelsea and spend all our time walking around various neighborhoods.
    • Caroline Miller January 8, 2015 at 6:23 pm Reply
      Welcome to the blog, Judy. Thank you so much for your comments and especially about the NYC high-rises that are largely vacant because they are owned by foreign buyers. That's an aspect I hadn't considered. Well, I suppose it makes the elevator ride to the penthouse a bit shorter, if we want to find a bright side. Unfortunately those tall buildings don't make the sky brighter for Central Park. That is sad.
  3. Louise Labby Carroll January 11, 2015 at 10:42 am Reply
    I won't stay higher than the 9th floor. Years ago I heard that the ladder of a fire engine only goes to the 9th floor. I have no idea whether or not that continues to be true. Bigger is not always better whether it's price or height!
    • Caroline Miller January 11, 2015 at 10:55 am Reply
      How right you are!

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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