A far cry from the City’s golden age, the equivalent of 26 Empire state office buildings sits unoccupied in New York. This emptiness is the symptom of a profound change in the way of life (and work) in New York.
The Covid-19 pandemic has marked a turning point in the daily lives of New York workers. Not content with avoiding hours of transport and taking advantage of telecommuting, they hasten to desert the offices of New York skyscrapers, once a symbol of modernity and economic dynamism.
New York’s population hasn’t gone down – far from it, and yet the offices remain empty. In question? THE New York Post talks about the high crime rate, but the reasons are deeper and structural. People who telecommute say they have a better work-life balance as a result. Others say their productivity is increased. All of them admit that this allows them to be more present with their families.
The big losers of telecommuting in New York are the shops and restaurants in the center of the city. Forbes says the city loses $12 billion each year to telecommuters. However, if workers are not returning to offices, it is also because the conditions there are no longer as attractive as they were in their heyday.
While waiting for companies or workers to adapt to this new reality, 7 million square meters of offices remain empty, an aberration when you consider the severity of the housing crisis in the Big Apple. Over 70,000 people are homeless in New York.
In April 2023, faced with the observation that New Yorkers are not returning to the office, the city launches a plan: “New NY Action Plan to transform part of the empty offices into housing. But there is a problem: transforming open spaces into apartments is expensive and without a real tax abatement policy or assistance from the city or the state, these new apartments will be far too expensive to be rented at reasonable prices. Converting offices into luxury apartments and lofts will not solve the housing crisis – nor the desertification of offices by workers, if they have to live very far from the center to be able to pay their rent.
What are the potential challenges and implications of converting empty offices into housing units in New York City
A far cry from the City’s golden age, the equivalent of 26 Empire state office buildings sits unoccupied in New York. This emptiness is the symptom of a profound change in the way of life (and work) in New York.
The Covid-19 pandemic has marked a turning point in the daily lives of New York workers. Not content with avoiding hours of transport and taking advantage of telecommuting, they hasten to desert the offices of New York skyscrapers, once a symbol of modernity and economic dynamism.
New York’s population hasn’t gone down – far from it, and yet the offices remain empty. In question? THE New York Post talks about the high crime rate, but the reasons are deeper and structural. People who telecommute say they have a better work-life balance as a result. Others say their productivity is increased. All of them admit that this allows them to be more present with their families.
The big losers of telecommuting in New York are the shops and restaurants in the center of the city. Forbes says the city loses $12 billion each year to telecommuters. However, if workers are not returning to offices, it is also because the conditions there are no longer as attractive as they were in their heyday.
While waiting for companies or workers to adapt to this new reality, 7 million square meters of offices remain empty, an aberration when you consider the severity of the housing crisis in the Big Apple. Over 70,000 people are homeless in New York.
In April 2023, faced with the observation that New Yorkers are not returning to the office, the city launches a plan: “New NY Action Plan to transform part of the empty offices into housing. But there is a problem: transforming open spaces into apartments is expensive and without a real tax abatement policy or assistance from the city or the state, these new apartments will be far too expensive to be rented at reasonable prices. Converting offices into luxury apartments and lofts will not solve the housing crisis – nor the desertification of offices by workers, if they have to live very far from the center to be able to pay their rent.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably reshaped the way we work and live. The abandonment of New York’s skyscrapers signifies a significant shift in both work and lifestyle, as we navigate towards more flexible and remote working environments. It is important to adapt and embrace these changes, finding innovative ways to revitalize these towering structures and redefine the concept of urban spaces in a post-pandemic world.
This intriguing article sheds light on the changing work dynamics and lifestyle preferences that have led to the abandonment of New York’s iconic skyscrapers. A thought-provoking read highlighting how our evolving work practices and lifestyle choices are reshaping urban landscapes.