Every day, thousands of tourists travel throughout the city of New York. Tourists are attracted to the city by food and the arts it has to offer. However, it is the landmarks of the city that catch the eyes of many: the Statue of Liberty and the famous skyscrapers throughout – the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and newer buildings like ‘The Edge.’ Over the last decade alone, the skyline of New York City has changed drastically. Since 2015, there have been eight new residential buildings that are 900 feet or higher in Manhattan. These are buildings built for luxury housing, but excluding residences, there have been numerous other skyscrapers eclipsing 900 feet built in the last ten years.
One Vanderbilt is a standout example. Built across the street from Grand Central Station, One Vanderbilt reaches a height of 1,401 feet. It is primarily used as an office building, but it is also a tourist attraction with Summit One Vanderbilt, which sits at the top of the building. As a whole, Summit One Vanderbilt bolsters New York City’s prominence as one of the premier cities for finding skyscrapers. In addition to its great view, it boasts novelties such as see-through floors for attendees to walk out upon, thousands of feet above the streets of the city.
These tall, sleek buildings never cease to amaze the passersby. They stand unwavering against high winds and extreme weather, and they are symbols of engineering greatness. Some of the city’s skyscrapers, unfortunately, are no more than a symbol. From the outside, they look strong and well built, but many are riddled with issues. Tourists walk among the skyscrapers of the city, but at one point, many of these buildings were riddled with unseen troubles.
Some of the problems that have plagued certain skyscrapers are comically simple, yet others are so complex that the average person will have difficulty comprehending what exactly is problematic. There are buildings that had issues during construction that were quickly rectified before residents moved in, and there are buildings that were finished and only then faced issues.
432 Park Avenue is a prominent but simple building that takes a dominant position in the New York City skyline. At 1,397 feet, the height helps the building stand out, but also requires unique provisions. It appears that the designers behind the building may have forgotten these unique requirements. The building has tormented its residents with what seem to be small weaknesses. Arguably the most problematic was a trash chute. The trash chute in the building was built just like that of any normal building–one that is no more than 100 feet. The trash chute in 432 Park Avenue essentially was a 1,400-foot tunnel in which residents began to complain of loud “boom” noises when people on higher floors threw their trash into the trash chute.
Unusual noises are another consistent problem for 432 Park Avenue. Another noise-related issue that plagues residents of the building is the creaking noises, which is normal for old wooden houses, not steel and concrete skyscrapers. The height of the building paired with the wind causes the building to sway back and forth in the wind. In the middle of the building is a massive counterweight to keep the building steady in the wind, but it isn’t able to completely eliminate movement.
Late at night, at the top of the building, the drywall used in conventional buildings is not used to the movement and thus creaks quite loudly. Sometimes, these issues are obvious to passersby, but they usually go unseen to average people.
Notably, in late December of 2020, a huge piece of glass was blown off of the top of a residential skyscraper in Billionaires’ Row. The building – 111 West 57th Street – features a unique design. The building, when viewing it from the north or south side, gradually tapers on one side, reminiscent of a shard of glass. Its top few floors are uninhabitable and serve the purpose of housing mechanical elements that are necessary for keeping the building working smoothly. Additionally, some of these upper floors are purely for adding height to the building, firmly establishing its place in the Manhattan skyline.
For a brief moment, this incident cast doubt on the quality and safety of the extremely-tall buildings that are prevalent in New York. A less extreme example of an engineering failure, but one that is far more complex is the root behind what Eric Lach at The New Yorker called “The Leaning Tower of New York.” The Leaning Tower of New York is a 670-foot tall residential skyscraper that sits at 161 Maiden Lane in Lower Manhattan.
Officially dubbed “seaport residences,” this concrete monolith that overlooks the East River is a reminder of how badly things can go wrong and how much extra care is needed when constructing super-tall residential buildings. At first glance, 161 Maiden Lane looks like another building under construction. It is an unremarkable sign of how New York City is constantly changing. Construction began at 161 Maiden Lane in July 2015, and it reached its full height in September 2018.
It has hardly changed since 2018. Glass has only been installed on a few of the lower floors. Most of the floors are still open to the elements and adorned with things needed in construction. There is still no properly installed elevator; rather, the hoist that is intended for temporary use while under construction is still attached to the side of the building.
161 Maiden Lane serves as a stark reminder of the fact that the formidable buildings that dominate New York City’s skyline may be more vulnerable than they seem. In 2022, around 86 billion dollars was spent on construction in New York City. The penthouse at 432 Park–a building known for issues like its poorly thought out trash chute–is currently listed on Zillow for 90 million dollars, after a price slash on February 6th, 2025. Clearly, there is a lot of money involved in the buildings of New York City.
Furthermore, a strict building code is imposed on construction companies that are trying to make money off of New York City real estate. For example, buildings in New York can’t use plastic plumbing, which makes plumbing in buildings more expensive and more complex.
With such a large population, strict rules, and so much money affecting the construction business in one of the greatest cities in the world, how is it that many of the skyscrapers the city is known for seem to be riddled with seemingly easily solvable issues? The problems are far too complex to be simplified into one major cause, but the mere existence of these failed buildings is a reminder of how perilous city construction may be.
161 Maiden Lane serves as a stark reminder of the fact that the formidable buildings that dominate New York City’s skyline may be more vulnerable than they seem.