Demolition in Manhattan

Demolition in Manhattan, originally uploaded by astoriahermit.

I love demolition in progress. Not for the obvious eight year old child reasons, but because of the unprecedented view of interiors. Interiors of rooms, of walls, of floors. My favorite demo was in Chelsea a few years ago. The former occupant had left posters on the walls. As the demolition progressed and the building was more or less sheared in half you could peer into the rooms as if watching a play taking place in an abandoned apartment.

I am also a big preservationalist - don't get me started about people who paint antique furniture. So demolition is always a bit bitter sweet to me. You may remember my bathroom renovation late last year. Don't get me wrong I like my brand new fixtures but the new bathroom is not the work of craftsmen like the former was. The contractor was in such a hurry to get paid and move on that doing the work seemed an unfortunate inconvenience to him. I wish I had done my own demo actually. The old bathtub they sledge hammered to pieces was worth about $500 (about 10% of the cost of the remodel) intact as architectural salvage.