Monday, November 2, 2015

The Green Shutters, an update

The piece below was first published at this blog in May 2013.

Today, I looked out of the windows and lo and behold workmen had cut through the brick that covered those old windows which were once surrounded by those old green shutters. The windows that were gone were today visible but covered by protective net.

And oh! The tree in the courtyard that grew taller than the building wall was removed and the smaller tree next to it was also destroyed. My green view is gone.

I took a few photos from my own windows. Here is one of them:





 This is from 5/24/2013: from The New York Times:
"Top 4 Floors in Chelsea to Be Above the Adjacent Structure; Condo Shaped Like Inverted L"


I moved into this apartment in 1968. There was a small tree in the back courtyard that was visible from my windows. And on the brick wall that faced my windows I could always see in bright colorful paint: "Sol Shapiro, Plumbing Supplies."

Also, on that wall were three large windows with green shutters. The shutters were rarely opened and when they were I never really saw any activity behind those windows.

I thought of those windows today and those green shutters. Over a decade ago, the windows were replaced with brick and everything on that wall was covered in dull beige paint. Now, it just a wall and nothing remains except this one memory:


In about 2002, I looked out and saw a young man looking out of the middle window and he stayed there for quite some time. He may have been saying good-bye. 

On this street, the old New York Telephone Company is becoming the Walker Tower. And the old post office that is a landmark may close.


Nothing else much has changed I suppose, except that the tree in the courtyard is now taller than the building.





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