Oculus rambling / channel future
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- This is just a quickly made video of me walking around the Oculus in New York City where I ramble about random stuff. The oculus is a shopping mall attached to several subway lines. I threw this video because I've been very busy lately, working on other videos that will be release soon.
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Email: thefourfoot8@gmail.com
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7,167
Looking forward to your California HSR update and comments.
Ugh yeah, I’m a total CAHSR Stan, but sometimes they don’t make it easy lol
No need to be feel apologetic. I always find it interesting to see how some train stations connect to the surrounding structures around them. It's part of the experience for anyone taking a train. Shinjuku Station in Tokyo is absolutely massive and connects underground to a few other stations. The central train in Berlin is interesting too. I looked up the cost...$4 billion! While the Oculus looks impressive, its usefulness doesn't match its cost. New York could really use that money on badly needed improvements in its rail infrastructure and they spent that much money on this instead?
Absolutely! And yes, Shinjuku is big lol. I haven’t been to Berlin, but I’ll take your word for it!
@@TheFourFoot Lower Manhattan is not the same after the twin towers were destroyed by hijacked aircrafts on September 11, 2001.
Indeed. I actually passed through Manhattan in the summer of 2001, but I wasn’t there long enough to really see it.
That it is. I know the Germans like their trains though lol
I'm really interested in the progress on Caltrain electrification and CHSR, so another update on that will be really good to see what kind of progress has been made. Also, I've been paying close attention to the San Diego Blue Line extension and from what I can see, it seems like all they need to do is finalize the stations and test the line, so hopefully things will be up and running soon.
For sure! I heard that they should begin testing the mid coast trolley very soon.
Just to let you know, the R211 subway cars are here in NYC. There’s another set coming and whenever they they inspected, then they will be a test run.
For sure! I’m enjoying all the videos of their delivery!
Thank you for posting this as I am busy with other rail projects around the country and I am not going to make a special trip just to see this heinous monstrosity. There is only one positive about the Oculus: when the time comes to knock it down to make way for Grand Central South no one will miss it.
Lol, interesting take, but yes, you’re totally right…
yeah, between the various connections, there's about .8 miles worth of publicly walkable tunnel around that complex if you include the IND mezzanine up to Church and Chambers
Nice lol
In the oculus I noticed that when you took the escalator up to street level it only went as far as that little balcony and you had to climb stairs the rest of the way . Not exactly user friendly ! And the oculus cost how much!?! Looking forward to your future updates.
Yeah no kidding. Very ridiculous!
Looking forward to the Caltrain electrification update. A lot has changed since you were there last. They have continuous electrification from Tamien to Palo Alto now, and it looks like they're finally starting to work on the middle and San Francisco sections.
That’s excellent to hear!
You can actually film the DC silver line without paying the tolls, if you plan on going back, by using the Dulles Access Road instead of the Dulles Toll Road. The whole right of way consists of three options: WMATA Silver Line (center-most), Dulles Access Road (free access, no-toll road immediately sandwiching the tracks, with only one exit in between the termini of I-66 and Dulles Airport located at VA Route 7), and Dulles Toll Road (tolled, outermost lanes; designed to service commuters, not airport traffic).
Yeah I realized when I said that that I wasn’t clear. I did film the line while driving on the Dulles Access Road. The Ashburn station, however, cost a few bucks. Getting on and off to film the station (unsuccessfully) and the maintenance facility racked up some tolls lol.
Yes to the vlogging! I am honestly astounded at the thoroughness and detail of your work and i would love to learn more on how you actually pull it off. Also really like these informal station tours. Keep em coming!
Ok 1 vote for the vlog lol. I’m gonna try it, we’ll see how it goes. Thanks!
also very jelly you met Brendon Urie!!!!!!
In advance of your trip to Seattle and Portland, welcome! In Portland there isn't much going on in terms of new stations or lines. Our SW Corridor project, which would have added a completely new line to the MAX light rail system, is currently on hold after a bond measure was defeated in November. You could probably make a video about the path the corridor would take, despite there being nothing going on. Hope you enjoy the City of Roses! If you're interested in the transit systems of Portland, I know an operator who might be able to give you some inside scoops too :D
Thanks! I didn’t know about that bond measure. That’s unfortunate to hear. At least there’s a decent rail system in place, but hopefully it will be built someday. It’s definitely a good idea for a video, I’ll see what I can come up with lol
I think the cost is acceptable when you think about NY's legacy. Like sure, we could have put CBTC on all of the lines in Manhattan but that will be practically invisible and won't be memorable. Instead we got an iconic structure, a beautiful entrance to the city which we haven't had since the old Penn station was torn down, and probably more than 4 billion in stimulating the local economy over the lifetime of the station
surely you're being sarcastic....
@@andrewberger1882 no, why?
@@ap1765 Grand Central still serves as an admittedly impressive entrance to the city, despite some of the gripes I have with some of it's architecture due to personal beliefs. Also, on the topic of old Penn Station, might I suggest checking out ReThinkNYC/ReThinkPennStation?
I don't think extravagant public works are a waste of public funds as they help tourism long-term and also are an expression of humanity and that is important. some would argue the funds would be better spent feeding the homeless or some other purpose, I won't argue with that. at any rate, great vid!
I fully support public spending on big public buildings (particularly train stations) but this just seemed a bit “extra” lol. Anyways, thanks!
9:47 that station sorely lacks moving walkways
Yeah they’d definitely be used lol
Personally I really like the idea of a transit hub that also acts as a mall.
When my wife and I traveled around Japan all the major train stations (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya) were malls and also full of restaurants that people would frequent and eat at. Also tons of shops that people picked up stuff from on their way home from work. Absolutely excellent experience to just hop on and off a train and have just about everything at your fingertips.
Unfortunately, based on the footage, it appeared that there was a lot of wasted space and things done at a grandiose rather than human scale at the Oculus (haven't been there myself yet). So... not sure that it would be executed well.
You’re absolutely right. In fact being connected to transit is the absolute best place for a mall to be built, not the way America did it lol. You’re also right that there is a lot of wasted space, and obviously the building was designed to make a statement (it would have been nice if that statement could have been made somewhere else, like say, Penn Station) but yeah. More malls with high quality transit service please! Lol
@@TheFourFoot This really isn't the way it's usually done. If you watch the Well There's Your Problem video on Calatrava, you'll see why this entire station was a disaster.
3:13 The exterior looks like Eren's Final Titan form lol
Lol I’ll take you word for it!
Would you ever consider moving from your freight railroad to passenger, like in Cali or New York? Any of the services Herzog manages, etc
I've been kicking around the idea of trying to get on at a commuter railroad as a drastic and (hopefully fun) job/life change but can't find much info on how hard it is. Do you need freight experience to get hired on for passenger/commuter?
Hey Mr. Foot, can we talk about your music taste? Hit me up if you are interested in expanding your exposure. Also, don't worry if people like your content. Do yo thang.
I would prefer the Oculus because it has retail and foot traffic.
compare that to the Salesforce transit center. it's nothing but an expensive $2 billion bus stop.
Should have built a building and use the money for transit expansion and improvements instead of a glorified mall
Holy shit that thing is empty. feels like a monument to nothing.
Keep Right --->
Basically lol
Hey, if you're looking for transit improvement information in Portland, trimet.org/bettertransit/
The TriMet customer service office is right at Pioneer Square so you can also get information there.
The biggest current project is the Division Transit Project now branded as "FX"(Frequent Express)which is absolutely terrible branding for rapid articulated buses with very minimal transit priority elements and all door boarding, effectively like Seattle's "Rapid Ride". Unfortunately the only MAX (light rail) extension is on hold due to the failure of a ballot proposition that was also filled with a bunch of freeway projects. Most of the improvements are really lackluster really. You can also see some bike boulevard stuff on NW Flanders including a new freeway overpass for pedestrians and bikes only if you're into that. Take some time to stop off at a food cart pod and visit Washington Park, Mt. Tabor park, and maybe the Saturday Market if you're here on a Saturday or Sunday. If you have any questions regarding transit in Portland or if you're looking for any specific recommendations feel free to ask. I might even be able to answer any non-transit related stuff. Enjoy your stay and have fun!
Excellent! Thanks a lot for the information! I’m sure I can find something neat to film!
don't worry about it, watching this video was fun, I enjoyed it. however I wondered when this was finished? when I visited New York in 2019 the oculus was open but the rest you showed was in construction. What I really don't understand is why such a place gets a shopping mall, it's kind of sad.. but thanks for the vid
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it! I’m not sure when the other mall was finished, but it sure looked new! Lol
Can you make it clear in the titles which videos are walkarounds/rambling convo, scripted analysis, video tour, and vlogs? I know you already do this to an extent, but I wanted to point it out for any vlogs, which aren't as much my style. I think it would help people who only are interested in some of the vid styles. I really liked this vid style though!
I can definitely do that. Thanks!
I have a hard time looking at the Oculus. I always feel like it's going to reach out and poke my eyes out or something. It just has a dangerous spiky appearance. Also 6:18 how the hell do you get away with taking a motorcycle on the subway?
I have no idea how I missed that, but yeah, I don't know lol. Thanks for pointing it out!
@@TheFourFoot A bit later you can see him taking it into an elevator!
Well this is ironic this popped up on my feed and I’m a few blocks away.
Nice lol
@@TheFourFoot oh it gets better. Was
Doing a Subway History tour as well!
That’s excellent lol. I’m sure it was fun!
@@TheFourFoot I try every crowd is different but they enjoyed themselves
I can imagine…
I took theE train to Jamaica Queens from port authority or penn idk lol.
Well, the oculus is the head house for the PATH trains. There happens to be shops in it.
Lol
check out the route for the coachella valley rail project while you're out here.
I might just do that!
👍
are you still in nyc
Ha no, that video was filmed in April 2021
@@TheFourFoot what’s your job? lol
I drive freight trains lol
@@TheFourFoot that’s awesome
Any news on when your CLT Gold Line video will come out? As a CLT native, I’m really looking forward to it!
Best I can say is by the end of July lol
@@TheFourFoot thanks for the reply! And that’s not too bad. I know I’ll be watching everything that comes out in the meantime anyway lol. Seems there’s a lot of hot takes on the Oculus in the comments, but I’m actually a big fan of it. I think from a transit perspective it doesn’t necessarily make a whole lot of sense in that there’s not a lot of seats or signage, but from a design standpoint, I think it actually works to draw people into the system since it’s just such a beautiful station. I know I’d happily ride a subway everyday if it meant I could go through the Oculus.
No I totally agree. Looking at it as a station by itself, it’s a huge waste of money (which is how a lot of anti-transit people see it) but as as mall/public gathering spot in the heart of the World Trade Center, obviously it makes much more sense. And plus it is neat looking lol
Finally something new that is bright and white. Everything always seems to keep getting dull and dark. Like how all the McDonald’s renovations look all dark and dull. I like this new mall.
Indeed. That McDonald’s design is going to to be as ubiquitous and dated as the 80’s design when I was a kid lol
Starchitecture is usually disconnected from local culture, and is often not worth its expenses. Modern fastfood modernism is designed with cost-effectiveness and sales in mind
You should do a(nother?) video about Caltrain’s Electrification, and maybe while you do the CA HSR you can cover how the Capitol Corridor line is affected.
Will do lol
Was this a Sunday? I have only seen that few people anywhere in NYC on Sundays. Your correct they should have built something like that at Penn Station. When the video first started the thought came to mind that thus was the subways " Penn Station ".
It was actually a Friday at the end of April so things were still opening back up. I can imagine that place is a nightmare usually on a Friday afternoon lol
Malls live or die based on foot traffic, so this Westfield center should do just fine unless the store mix is screwed up beyond recognition. You may not be very familiar with the original WTC, but there was a large and thriving mall in the podium at the base of the towers.
Yeah I’m too young to have visited the old mall. Water tower place in Chicago comes to mind as an example of a dead mall that’s (almost) served by transit. Emphasis on the almost lol
Oculus shocking amount of lacking seats. Same with the new Penn station
“What’s a seat?” I was really disappointed when I saw the restrooms at Moynihan were closed. It’s almost like the solution to keeping homeless people from sleeping in your station is to end homelessness. It’s unfortunate that America is going about it by housing them in socialized housing against their will (prison).
I enjoyed this video a great deal. And stream of consciousness narration was not a problem. Looking forward to those other videos as well!
Good to know! That video took like an hour to make, so I’ll probably make more in the future lol
Can’t wait for your video on the Purple Line!
Me too! Lol