Working in The Big Apple - part I
"Had anyone predicted at the founding of Fabrique that I would now be working in New York for 3 weeks, I would have called them crazy." Read about the adventures of Jeroen van Erp from NYC.
A bit more context: during the corona pandemic, I realized that if you mainly work online, you can do it just as well anywhere in the world. A month in Cape Town at a friend's house was refreshing, inspiring, and productive. And now I'm doing the same in New York. With the understanding that Fabrique's parent company, Eidra, has workspaces in downtown Manhattan where you can work, meet, and eat.
Another day at the office now means first cycling for 45 minutes along Central Park, through the ever-bustling city until you can almost go no further. We are in Tribeca, almost around the corner from the One World Trade Center. And while there may be bike lanes marked in the city, that doesn't mean everyone (read: everything motorized) takes them into account. Moreover, the keep lane mentality is also adopted by cyclists. Agitated couriers on electric bikes, often adorned with lots of bling, regularly flash by on the left and right. Some Amsterdam cycling flair comes in handy. But when I ask the doorman of our building where I can park my bike, I get a blank stare in return. So, I park it on a pole outside.
We love cultural heritage
At Fabrique, we've been working for several years with clients in the US. Among others, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, and The Bruce (museum of modern art) in Greenwich, New York. With our experience, reputation, portfolio, and products in the cultural sector, we can make a difference here. Being here for a while provides the opportunity to visit new prospects and make plans with sister companies that are also active here, such as Kurppa Hosk, Umain, and Above.
And New York after the elections?
Still the same, fortunately. It seems that New Yorkers just shrug it off. And rightly so, Trump may soon become president of America again, but that doesn't mean he has The Big Apple in his pocket. New York will always be bigger than Trump, and he knows it.
Cycling through New York, you also realize that the battle over who dominates the city's skyline is constantly changing. Of course, there are the classics that still matter, like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. And there's the absence of the Twin Towers, but that's somewhat compensated by the One World Trade Center. These are classic buildings in terms of architecture that have faced competition in recent years from newcomers that demand attention in a more subtle way. The Central Park Tower, with 131 floors and 472 meters in height, is not far from the Steinway Tower (82 floors, 435 meters high). A bit further on 432 Park Avenue stands the building with the same name as the address. Only 426 meters high. They matter in terms of height but are anything but classic buildings. Compared to the old ones, they look more like the towering figures of Giacometti. They are modern, relatively slender, but also extremely elegant, each with its own character. The remarkable thing is that the different styles go together well and tolerate each other. And that's how it should be.
This blog is part of a series of stories. Also read Jeroen's second blog.Working in The Big Apple - part II and third blogWorking in The Big Apple - part III.
