People Are Saying New York's New $25 Billion Neighborhood Looks Like a Giant Roach

From House Beautiful

This weekend dozens of stars braved New York's winter temperatures to witness the unveiling of a $25 billon neighborhood. Hudson Yards, NYC's first mega development since Rockefeller Center 80 years ago, officially opened seven of its 14 planned buildings to a private audience of potential residents, including Martha Stewart, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Anne Hathaway and Big Bird. The sprawling re-vamp of MTA's rail yards boasts two apartment complexes complete with private entrances and keyless entry for its wealthy owners.

Wait-Why Is Everyone Buzzing About Hudson Yards?

Originally marketed as a public space and taxpayer funded, the demand for the new neighborhood's amenities has already spawned a ticketing system for visitors. In addition to two community spaces, the Vessel and the Shed, the complex features a mega mall, a food hall dotted with celebrity chefs, and a new subway hub. The wait for the food hall alone was nearly two hours.

Artists of all kinds have flocked to the neighborhood, even without a ticket. Photographers, painters, even filmmakers documented the viral opening in compliance with some of the tower's unique rules: It can't be drawn in permanent marker and all photos belong to Hudson Yards, not the photographer. That didn't stop The Gothamist from getting this beautiful drone shot down the Vessel:

What's The Controversy Surrounding the Development?

Hudson Yards's original terms and conditions raised concerns from some people, who worried its image use rights were overbroad. Initially, it stated that the company had the right to use any photos, audio and video recordings you took that depicted or related to the Vessel, adding that they didn't need to pay anyone for using their work or their likeness.

Just four days after opening the Vessel, Hudson Yards announced they were amending their terms to be a bit clearer. "The intent of the policy is to allow Hudson Yards to amplify and reshare photos already shared on individual social channels through our website and social channels," a Related Companies spokesperson told Bloomberg. "This is a practice utilized at nearly all major attractions and we wanted to over communicate, be transparent and disclose to all users."

What Are People Saying About Its Design?

Twitter being Twitter, people couldn't wait to compare the Vessel's architecture to everyday items. Part of the hype surrounding the opening has been people arguing over whether it reminds them more of shawarma, a beehive, the next Marvel movie set, and a fruit wrapper.

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