33rd and Madison

Last night I happened upon the corner of 33rd and Madison, where several businesses are shuttered, spray-painted, absestos-abated, and rat poison baited. Behind the gates, the doors were wide open, expelling a noxious stink of decay that smelled dismayingly like 9/11. Something wicked this way comes...

Indeed, it's a 33-story, condo-hotel combo tower. And it looks like the developers are already dreaming of luxury with that fantasy Fendi placement in the rendering:


image and more info from curbed

Several small businesses have crumbled for this development and, strangely, not just on the northwest corner of 33rd and Madison where the tower will rise. On the south side of 33rd another cluster of businesses (including World of Pickles) are also shuttered and rodent-baited. So what's the plan there? Maybe making room for this 37-story tower: Wired NY. It's all a bit unclear to me. And somewhere in this mishigoss is one of Warhol's Factory buildings, soon to be converted.



In a sort of spooky coincidence, today's read of AMNY's Urbanite blog brought pictures of the same corner, highlighting the great revealed signage at Jeanette's Cards and Gifts, featuring Barton's Bonbonniere. I'll let Mr. Pujol fill you in about that place--and his pics are much better than my shady night shots.



Hurry if you want to see the old signage--the presence of rat poison and asbestos abatement can only mean that these buildings are about to fall.