We noticed the Sanyo dirigible passing over One Fifth Avenue yesterday as we walked by the Washington Square Arch, and we thought you might enjoy the combination of elements. One Fifth is the name of the building which is the only skyscraper (or near to skyscraper) in the Village, and it really stands out as so much higher than everything around it.

Built in the twenties as a hotel, it is now a very desirable residence. The original hotel restaurant has been restored – it has a wonderful old-fashioned lobby. I remember going there before the change over, when there was a piano player and always a cabaret singer in an tight sequined evening dress, the type of woman the main character falls in love with in the old movies. It is the first building at the beginning of Fifth Avenue, hence the address of One Fifth…

At the bottom-most tip of Manhattan begins a long stretch of skyscraper canyons created by the narrow shafts of space between rows of extremely tall buildings. New York City is built on layers of bedrock. Manhattan schist is the most common and is what allows skyscrapers to be built. In lower Manhattan and midtown, where the schist is close to the surface, you find concentrations of tall buildings (in other areas like the village, the bedrock is too deep to make getting to it practical). For many, these skyscrapers symbolize NYC and create its distinctive skyline.

This photo was taken at the exit from the Staten Island Ferry terminal at State Street near Battery Park, where there are also ferries to other locations, such as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Governors Island. Downtown has the greatest mix of the early skyscrapers with the ultramodern. There is now a new Skyscraper Museum at Battery Park City.