0:00:03 > 0:00:06The world's most famous skyline,
0:00:06 > 0:00:11a symbol of ambition, success and wealth.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Welcome to New York.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18We're going to show you how this city works.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21We've gained privileged access
0:00:21 > 0:00:24to some of New York's most iconic places.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're revealing the hidden systems and armies of workers that
0:00:30 > 0:00:32keep everything on track.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35WHISTLE BLOWS
0:00:35 > 0:00:37This time, we're in Central Park.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40A quarter of a million visitors are heading this way.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47A green oasis surrounded by some of the world's most expensive housing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Tonight, we investigate the sky-high price of property
0:00:51 > 0:00:52in this crowded city.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Journalist Ade Adepitan goes house-hunting in Harlem.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00If it's a house that needs renovation, three million.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05- If it's done, it's four to five million.- That is incredible.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Engineer Ant Anstead discovers even thin air comes at a price.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16- You spent 1 billion and you didn't get any land?- Correct.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I get the lowdown from the locals about the best...
0:01:18 > 0:01:22It's the most wonderful place on earth. So good, they named it twice.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25..and worst things about living here.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27My rent doubled overnight.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And historian Dan Snow gets into deep water on Coney Island.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37- So the ocean came in round the back? - Yes. It flooded the entire area.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45This is your access-all-areas pass to American's biggest and busiest city.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Welcome to Central Park, New York's most famous green space,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10all 843 glorious acres of it.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It cuts a swathe through the map of Manhattan,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18two and a half miles long and half a mile wide.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22It's 7am, the sun's rising,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26it's warming up and the park is heading towards its busiest hours.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28We're here right through to 3pm,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31when it'll reach its peak visitor numbers.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This is the city's back yard, where New Yorkers come to relax.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38But keeping this place relaxing is far from a walk in the park.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43More than twice the size of London's Regent's Park,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46this is America's most visited urban park.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52At this time of day, it looks serene, but preparing this place for
0:02:52 > 0:02:58its 42 million annual visitors is an enormous and costly logistical
0:02:58 > 0:03:01operation involving 375 full-time staff.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07And they start early.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The first and one of the most important jobs in the park is
0:03:11 > 0:03:13handled by Gary Gentilucci and his team.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Gary, who's your team? What do you do?- We're the turf crew.- Yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Hello, turf crew.- How you doing?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23The turf team's super-sized task is mowing all 300 acres of lawn
0:03:23 > 0:03:24across the park.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28In a few hours, this one, Sheep Meadow,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31will be packed with close to 2,000 picnickers.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I have to say, I'm looking at your lawn
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and it is beautifully maintained.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38And then human beings just come and ruin it.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40That's OK. That's what it's there for.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It's going to get used but we're going to take care of it, and that's what the turf crew does.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So how many times a week do you have to mow the lawns?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Something like Sheep Meadow here gets mowed twice a week.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Our goal is to mow every lawn at least once a week.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Well, let's talk about this fantastic piece of kit that you've got here.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00- Is it comfortable?- Very comfortable. See? Air-assisted seats.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Air-conditioned, state-of-the-art mower.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03And what's the top speed?
0:04:03 > 0:04:07- About 8-10 miles on it. - Even though it goes eight miles an hour, you want to go
0:04:07 > 0:04:10a little bit slower, you want to let the machine work for itself.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The slower you go, nice carpet comes out when you mow.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16If you're going fast, you're going to leave little blades of grass,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18so the slower, the better.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Well, you'd better get on with it, because you've got a lot of grass to cut. So let's...
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Off he goes.- Get out there.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32This team are a crucial part of the park's complex organisational jigsaw.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39It's divided into 49 separate zones, each overseen by a manager.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43The specialist teams work across all areas, looking after the lawns,
0:04:43 > 0:04:49monuments, lakes and ponds, trees and sports fields.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- So this is a softball field?- This is a softball field, that's right.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- So you have to tidy these every morning?- Every morning.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- What do I need to do? - All right. Let's see.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59What you want to do is you want to use the back end of that rake
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and take the excess clay here.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04You just push it right on in there, yep.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08So how many of these pitches are there in the park?
0:05:08 > 0:05:13- There are 26 ball fields in Central Park.- And they're all done by hand?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15They're all done by hand and we also have
0:05:15 > 0:05:18a machine that'll go around and do the bigger areas as well.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It takes about 15-20 minutes to do each field.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23How many games do you reckon there will be?
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- Today, we have about 170 games booked.- There's 170 games?- Correct.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30So the guys that are playing first this morning,
0:05:30 > 0:05:31when would they have booked?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34They would probably have booked some time in the winter.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- So it's really prestigious to play here?- Absolutely.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Would you want to play anywhere else?
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I guess it's pretty amazing, isn't it?
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Sports arena, leisure space, cultural hub.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51In a few hours, this park will play many roles for its visitors.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58But it wasn't part of the original plan for the city.
0:06:00 > 0:06:06Manhattan's famous grid system was set out back in 1811
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and is known as the Commissioners' Plan.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Laid out long before the city was fully populated,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16it created a blueprint for New York's development.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21But it had one major flaw - no large open spaces.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26By the mid 19th century, New York's rapid development meant
0:06:26 > 0:06:31living conditions in Lower Manhattan were overcrowded and unhealthy.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Cramped tenements provided the perfect breeding ground for disease
0:06:36 > 0:06:41and were hotbeds of criminality and violence.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It was thought a park would solve these
0:06:44 > 0:06:46social and public health issues.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51In 1853, the city government set aside a rocky,
0:06:51 > 0:06:56sparsely populated area in the north of the city for development.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03Journalist Frederick Law Olmsted and English-born architect Calvert Vaux
0:07:03 > 0:07:05won the competition to build there.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Their design, the Greensward Plan,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12was influenced by the landscape paintings
0:07:12 > 0:07:15of the Hudson River school of artists.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Creating spaces that mimicked the countryside but inside the city
0:07:20 > 0:07:22was an innovation in park design.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Construction began in 1858.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35It took a team of over 4,000 people more than 16 years
0:07:35 > 0:07:39to turn Olmsted and Vaux's vision into a reality.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45And their legacy is plain to see across all 843 acres.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53This park is so natural, it's like it's been here for ever.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57But one of the strangest things about it is that it hasn't.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It's pretty much man-made. It's manufactured wildlife, if you like.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02It's like a Disneyland.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05One of the only things that has been here for more than 200 years
0:08:05 > 0:08:07is this, the bedrock of the city.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It's called the Manhattan schist.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Even the seven water bodies, all 150 acres of it,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16is plugged in to the New York water mains.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23And some of that water is flowing into this beautiful waterfall.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And a woman with a fantastic job is horticulturalist Shanna Blanchard.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- Hello.- Shanna, shatter the illusion. Where's the water coming from?
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Crouch down just a little bit. It's just this light pipe.- Oh, that's it?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- That's it. - An ordinary garden pipe.- Exactly.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- It's clean, it's a very natural illusion.- It's impressive.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- It is impressive.- Very fancy water feature.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Where are we? Put us into context. Where in the park are we?
0:08:44 > 0:08:45We are in the Hallett Nature Sanctuary,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48which is a four-acre woodland at the south end of the park.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And if I look this way, it's like a beautiful, lovely park,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53and this way, you've got Manhattan.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- Skyscrapers, exactly. - So there's no hiding from it.- No!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Why was this place created?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00This was created as a woodland,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02so something to immerse yourself in the natural world.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06We've planted a lot of native species in here to create habitat
0:09:06 > 0:09:08for all of our nonhuman users,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12so thinking about birds, butterflies, bees, wasps et cetera.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- And what birds come into this place? - We get tons and tons of species.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I think, at a certain point, around 230 species of birds
0:09:20 > 0:09:23have been counted collectively in the park.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27So we have some beautiful egrets and herons that like to make their
0:09:27 > 0:09:28home here, which is fantastic.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31And how many trees do you have in the park as a whole, not just in here?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34In the park as a whole, about 20,000.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And then, within that 20,000, about 195 species.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Incredible.- Which is amazing.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42And then, beyond that, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds
0:09:42 > 0:09:46of different species of herbaceous plants and shrubs.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50What are the challenges of maintaining somewhere this beautiful
0:09:50 > 0:09:52and this natural in an urban environment?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The human impact does create a lot of challenges, you know.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58If you have ten people on this trail then they're, at some point,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01going to step on the plants that we've been lovingly maintaining.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- So, on the one hand, it's created for public consumption...- Which is great.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- ..but we have to use it with respect. - And that's why we're here.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14It's 8am.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Early visitors are arriving in the park, enjoying the quiet.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22And now, ladies and gentlemen, keep your focus here on the start line.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27But two miles north, at the 102nd Street entrance,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29it's a very different story.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32We are inspired to see so many LGBT runners and allies
0:10:32 > 0:10:34running in the name of equality.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Here, the first of today's 55 events is about to start,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42another logistical challenge for the park team.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I'm here with Jamie Warren, and you oversee all the major events
0:10:45 > 0:10:49that go on through the park all over the year.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51First of all, tell me, what is going on here today?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So, this morning we're here with New York Road Runners
0:10:54 > 0:10:56for their annual Front Runners race.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01It's a five-mile race around the park with probably 5,000 participants.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05These folks have been here since probably two o'clock this morning,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08setting up water stations, medical stations, start line, finish line,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11making sure that everything is ready to go, so that when these people
0:11:11 > 0:11:14cross the start line, everything is taken care of.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16So just a small undertaking, you don't have to do that much,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- you know, two o'clock in the morning...- Piece of cake!
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Is it just fun runs you do?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22What other major events do you do in the park?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Throughout the year, we probably have events...
0:11:25 > 0:11:27around 3,000 events a year that are permanent.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- 3,000 events?- 3,000.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32We have events that range from birthday parties and weddings
0:11:32 > 0:11:33that might have 20 people,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36all the way to things like the New York City Marathon,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39which has 50,000 runners cross the finish line in Central Park,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42our great lawn concerts, which can see 60,000 people,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46400 film and photography shoots throughout the year.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I mean, it just goes on and on. It doesn't end here.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51If you're going to see it anywhere, you're going to see it here.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54It's a real important hub for the whole of the city, isn't it?
0:11:54 > 0:11:55What keeps you up at night?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58What do you worry about, Jamie, when it comes to an event like this?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I think the thing that keeps me up most at night
0:12:01 > 0:12:02is probably the weather.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06We have days where we've got thunderstorms and blizzards and...
0:12:06 > 0:12:08It's something that we have no control over
0:12:08 > 0:12:10but can have a serious effect on an event.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It can also have a really great effect, like this morning.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17It's cool, it's sunny, there's not a cloud in the sky. This is ideal.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24These 5,000 runners are only a small proportion of
0:12:24 > 0:12:27today's 250,000 visitors.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Collectively, they will leave behind more than ten tonnes of rubbish.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34And, like everything in Central Park,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38even the rubbish collection is planned with military precision.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I'm with Nick Marotta on his daily round.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Are we doing these ones here?
0:12:44 > 0:12:45- Yes, we are.- Oh, right.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- Can I use the pincers? - Yes, you can.- Lovely.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54How many of these bins are there around the park, do you reckon?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- Oh, there are hundreds around the park.- Literally hundreds?
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Yes, they're all over the place.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03- So how big's the area that you're responsible for? - I do 59th to 72nd Street.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- It's about a quarter of the park. - That's a massive area.- Yes, it is.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08And how many people help you?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11We have approximately 20 people in the park help us,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14along with six packer drivers.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Right. So how many bags, then, will you do, I don't know, in a day?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Roughly about 1,000 bags a day. - 1,000 a day?- If not more.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- So where's the bag go now? - Well, the bag is going to go...
0:13:24 > 0:13:26we have right now is going to go into the cart.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- OK.- And then we'll transport it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Easy.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- I mean, that's a lot of rubbish. - Yes, it is.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- So how many times will you do that bin a day?- Five to ten times a day.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40- Ten times?- Yes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:4620 people on the rubbish team patrol the pathways on golf buggies.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49They collect the rubbish and take it to one of seven drop zones
0:13:49 > 0:13:51on the main Park Drive.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54From there, one of three trucks collects it
0:13:54 > 0:13:55and ships it out of the park.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00And this is just a fraction of the 2,000 tonnes of rubbish that
0:14:00 > 0:14:02comes out of Central Park each year.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Perhaps the least glamorous job in the park, but one of the most vital.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:14:11 > 0:14:13On your mark...
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It's 8.30am and the runners are off.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18AIR HORN SOUNDS
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Happy Pride, everybody. Enjoy your run.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26I'll be out there with you today.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31The fastest will take just 24 minutes
0:14:31 > 0:14:34to get around the park's perimeter road.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Now, as these runners make their way around the park, they're going to be
0:14:37 > 0:14:41running past some of the most expensive property in the world.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43And just to give you an idea of HOW expensive,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47if you want an apartment round here, be prepared to fork out
0:14:47 > 0:14:52anything up to 5,000 per square foot, which is around 3,500 quid.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56It's similar to what you'd pay to live in some of the poshest
0:14:56 > 0:14:57parts of London.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58And because of that,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02this area has always attracted the rich and famous.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04John Lennon had an apartment in the Dakota building,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Sting and Denzel Washington still live around this area.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Oh, and a certain Donald Trump has got a small, not very
0:15:10 > 0:15:14spectacular place, just a little two-up-two-down number around here.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25New York's property prices are as high as its skyline.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28A penthouse apartment in this block, just south of Central Park,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32sold in 2013 for 95 million.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35If you can't afford that,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38you still need deep pockets to buy in Manhattan.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The average sale price for an apartment is over 2 million
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and for a luxury townhouse it's a minimum of ten.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51This supercharged market has spawned specialist high-end estate agents.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Paula Del Nunzio is one of an elite group who sell houses
0:15:57 > 0:15:59to some of the wealthiest people on earth.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06This particular house was designed by a woman named Penny Bradley,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08who was actually British.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11This six-storey townhouse on the Upper East Side
0:16:11 > 0:16:16bordering Central Park is on the market for 22.5 million.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20You can see the attention to detail she brought to bear.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Then she got a faux-painter to come in and disguise the plugs, which
0:16:24 > 0:16:28she's put quite a few places, but you can't see them unless you look.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Paula specialises in luxury townhouses and
0:16:32 > 0:16:37has sold 1.2 billion worth of them in the last ten years.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43In the rear, we have a very large living room with its own fireplace
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and three tall windows.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50She holds the current record for selling the city's most
0:16:50 > 0:16:53expensive house, the Harkness Mansion,
0:16:53 > 0:16:5621,000 square feet of opulence
0:16:56 > 0:17:02located on the Upper East Side, which went for 53 million.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Paula knows exactly what
0:17:04 > 0:17:08her demanding clients expect in their homes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13This is the very important elevator. And then this is the dining room.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Beautiful view of Japanese plum trees.
0:17:22 > 0:17:2663% of the UK's housing stock is owner-occupied
0:17:26 > 0:17:29but here it's a different story.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Just 25% own their own place.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37There are only 200,000 privately owned homes in Manhattan,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42which creates a supply problem at the very top of the market.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46If you have a constant influx of people coming into Manhattan
0:17:46 > 0:17:49from different countries, as the wealth moves around in the world,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53there'll always be a somewhat limited supply.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56And that will always keep the market fairly strong,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59no matter what the kerfuffles are along the way.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04In this global market, asking prices are up 17% on last year
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and can sound more like telephone numbers than real figures.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11This one is the opportunity to acquire this building right here
0:18:11 > 0:18:14for 49.5 million.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17This is 35 million.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20This one's only 29.9 but it requires renovation.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25At the moment, I have 11 houses and about six apartments
0:18:25 > 0:18:29for a total of 359 million.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33This does not include, however, other properties that I can
0:18:33 > 0:18:35make available to a very qualified customer.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38These are things that are not officially being marketed
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but the seller has come to me
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and said, "If you can get me 90 million, I'll show it."
0:18:43 > 0:18:46These prices are beyond the reach of everyone
0:18:46 > 0:18:50but the top 0.1% of earners in the world.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53My particular clients have been people that run hedge funds
0:18:53 > 0:18:58who are exceedingly demanding, they are able usually to finance what
0:18:58 > 0:19:02they want, but they have little time and little attention to devote to it.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05And Paula's clients are always on the lookout
0:19:05 > 0:19:07for the next big status symbol.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Like the apartments in this 43-floor block
0:19:12 > 0:19:14on the banks of the East River.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19So now we're in 50 United Nations Plaza.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24This three-bedroom,
0:19:24 > 0:19:303,000-square-foot home is a relative bargain at 8 million.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Typically the kind of person who buys here is going to buy it all cash.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Nearly half of those who invest in new developments are foreign buyers
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and purchasing in cash isn't unusual.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Views like this can easily bump up prices by 20%.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The better the view, the higher the premium.
0:19:53 > 0:19:59At the moment we are about here, at a cost of approximately 7-10 million.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02If we travel up the building to the top
0:20:02 > 0:20:04we can have a penthouse at 70 million.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11The 88 apartments that make up this building are nearly all sold.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16And in this global marketplace, for the super-rich it's a good bet
0:20:16 > 0:20:20that New York's real-estate values will continue to rise.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The cost of some of those properties is absolutely staggering,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31but I've got another figure for you, even more impressive.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35We asked an estate agent to put a price tag on Central Park.
0:20:35 > 0:20:41Not that it can be sold, but it would go for 1.2 trillion.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45That's a thousand billion, or 12 zeros. Get your head around that one.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You can understand why.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It's in the centre of Manhattan and it's a lovely place to be.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53But in the '70s it was a very different story.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- NEWSREEL:- Central Park, right in the middle of Manhattan.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03An ideal place to retreat from the way the city assaults the senses.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08The only problem is, it's not safe.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14In 1974 more than 700 crimes were committed here.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17This included robbery and murder.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20That's the kid we got this morning.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25He robbed that minibike, I think. That's the one we seen this morning.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28As the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, there was
0:21:28 > 0:21:31no money to spend on policing or managing the park.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It was covered in graffiti, lights and benches were broken
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and the lakes and ponds were badly polluted.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44It's hard to believe we're in the same place, isn't it?
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Well, I'm joined by one of the men who was instrumental in
0:21:47 > 0:21:52turning it into this gorgeous haven that we see now, and that is the CEO
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and president of the Central Park Conservancy, Doug Blonsky.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01- Doug, just how bad was it in the '70s and '80s?- Oh, it was pretty scary.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I came here in 1980 on a school trip
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and I can remember vividly walking into the park.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10There were more rats than there were people and the bridges and arches
0:22:10 > 0:22:13were covered with graffiti, the Great Lawn was
0:22:13 > 0:22:16a dust bowl and it actually was called the Great Dust Bowl.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19And the thing that really caught us the most was the Belvedere Castle,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23which is the visitor centre now, was basically covered with graffiti,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26locked up, boarded up and had razor wire around it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27It was dreadful.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Even growing up in the UK, we knew, oh, you can't walk
0:22:29 > 0:22:32from one side of Central Park to the other without getting mugged.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34But I think that's what saved the park, actually.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It was so bad, it was so scary that something had to be done.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So how did you go about changing that?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- What was the first thing that happened?- You know what happened?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47In the mid '70s, early to mid '70s, a few groups started popping up,
0:22:47 > 0:22:48you know, citizens' groups,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52private individuals that said, "We can't deal with this,"
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and then there were two really dominant groups,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58the Central Park Community Fund and the Central Park Task Force,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00that were just two volunteer organisations
0:23:00 > 0:23:01coming in and doing work.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And in 1979 the parks commissioner said, "You know something?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06"We've got to get together."
0:23:06 > 0:23:10So that's what really began the creation of the Central Park Conservancy in 1980
0:23:10 > 0:23:12and it was really an organisation that said,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15"Go out and raise money, because we're not giving you any."
0:23:15 > 0:23:18The city wasn't. "And start taking the park back."
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Always with the premise that the park belonged to the public.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22It's the city's park.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Today, Central Park is one of the safest places in New York.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Last year 86 crimes were reported -
0:23:33 > 0:23:37an 88% decrease on its figures in the '70s.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45Policing the park is another essential behind-the-scenes operation.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47And they don't use your standard cop car.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51New York Parks has got its own specialist mounted division.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It helps keep the park a low-crime area.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57The person in charge is Sgt Desree Fazalari.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59She should be getting ready to go out on patrol.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Hi, Sarge.- Hi, how are you?- Good.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- So who's this guy?- This is Atlas. He's about nine years old.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- God, he's massive, isn't he? - Yes, he is.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- And he's a little bit feisty today. - Just a little bit.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14'Atlas and his colleague Justice live in this purpose-built stable
0:24:14 > 0:24:16'at the south end of the park.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'They're about to head out on their 11am patrol.'
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Have you two worked together long?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Atlas and I have worked together for about three years.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- So you're pretty good friends? - We're pretty good friends.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28We know each other very well.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- And has he got you out of a few scrapes?- He has.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34He has indeed got me out of a few issues and problems
0:24:34 > 0:24:36that we've had here in the park.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So what's the idea of patrolling Central Park on horseback?
0:24:39 > 0:24:42One of the ideas is the horses give us an advantage to be able to
0:24:42 > 0:24:46see throughout the park that maybe an officer on the ground or in a vehicle
0:24:46 > 0:24:50couldn't necessarily see themselves because they're lower to the ground.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And it also gives us the advantage of going places where they
0:24:53 > 0:24:54might not be able to go.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So what are the main problems the park's got?
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Some of the main problems inside of Central Park are littering,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04drinking in public, which here in America is illegal.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07We also deal with issues where people need aid.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11As first responders we are generally the first people on scene.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14We are trained in CPR and first aid as well as we're able to
0:25:14 > 0:25:17call an ambulance if absolutely necessary.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20How long do you reckon you and Atlas could get round the park on a patrol?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24On a short patrol we could probably get throughout the entire park in an hour and a half.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Through a thorough patrol we could probably do four to five hours.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- Right. Well, I'd better let you get on with it.- All right.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- See you, Atlas.- Have a good day.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38As they begin today's patrol,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41the park is full of people,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44all blissfully unaware of the morning's careful preparations
0:25:44 > 0:25:45for their arrival.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Games are in full swing on the ball fields I helped to prepare earlier.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And thousands of people are picnicking and playing on
0:25:59 > 0:26:02the lawn Gary's turf crew mowed first thing this morning.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08You can see everyone's so chilled out and it really feels like
0:26:08 > 0:26:13this is a place that New Yorkers see as their back garden.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Now, if Central Park is where New Yorkers come to relax,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20then Coney Island is where they've always gone to let their hair down.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Dan went over there to trace its roller-coaster ride through history.
0:26:27 > 0:26:2913 miles south of the park,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Coney Island has been New York's playground for almost 200 years.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- How are you doing?- Hello. Welcome to Nathan's.- Thank you.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- Can I get two original? - There you go.- Thank you very much.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- And where's the ketchup and stuff? - Right behind you.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- Ketchup and mustard. - Thanks very much.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56If there's one place that shows the city's ability
0:26:56 > 0:26:59to weather the storms of recent history,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01it's here.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Like the rest of New York City,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08the early 20th century was boom time for Coney Island.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11On a lovely hot summer's day when the sun was out
0:27:11 > 0:27:15100,000 people would flock to this beach.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- NEWSREEL:- Coney Island, the world's greatest fun frolic,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26with its beach, miles long, all peppered with people.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33It cost just five cents to get here on the subway from Manhattan -
0:27:33 > 0:27:35affordable for everyone.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40Folks who are just like all of us, all refugees from the city heat,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42here where the beach meets the cool Atlantic.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Family-friendly amusements rub shoulders with more dubious
0:27:47 > 0:27:49forms of entertainment.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Hurry, hurry, step this way.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Freaks from the four corners of the world.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01But Coney Island's greatest eating invention is the frankfurter.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04For it was here that the hot dog was born.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11There we go. Mustard for you.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15One man who remembers those days is local legend Jimmy Prince,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17a butcher here for 60 years.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21What was it like here on the boardwalk?
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Oh, it was absolutely fantastic.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I mean, it was just so energised.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29There was so many people, so much going on.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34But the glory days didn't last.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39Like the rest of the city, the '70s and '80s were a dark time here.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43The neighbourhood itself started to get a little shabby,
0:28:43 > 0:28:49a lot of crime and prostitution and drinking and it just...
0:28:49 > 0:28:52You just didn't want to see this happen.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Coney Islanders like Dennis Vourderis and his family
0:28:57 > 0:28:59refused to give in.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02- You in first.- OK, thank you.- OK.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Whoa! That was fun.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10My family has been in Coney Island since 1966.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13My mom and dad started as food vendors on the boardwalk many
0:29:13 > 0:29:17years ago and, you know, we always thought Coney Island had a huge
0:29:17 > 0:29:22potential and we invested heavily into Coney Island.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27Not only our time and our labour and our sweat but our own money as well.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30When everyone else was getting out,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Dennis's dad sank his cash into this amusement park,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38getting the run-down but much-loved Wonder Wheel as part of the deal.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42When the Wonder Wheel became available for sale
0:29:42 > 0:29:45my dad jumped on it right away and bought it in 1983.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50It was in pretty bad shape so he thought it was an excellent
0:29:50 > 0:29:52opportunity to get in.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55We began working on it right away and restoring it,
0:29:55 > 0:29:57repainting it and rebuilding it.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01It was declared officially a New York City landmark in 1989.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Coney Island's gradual renaissance was supported by
0:30:07 > 0:30:11140 million of city investment,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14but its rebirth came to an abrupt end.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16MUSIC: BBC News Theme
0:30:16 > 0:30:20America's East Coast prepares for Hurricane Sandy -
0:30:20 > 0:30:22nine states declare an emergency.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Sandy was a nightmare. It's something we want to forget.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34That night was very ugly.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37The Atlantic Ocean came up from behind,
0:30:37 > 0:30:42around the bend, and came up from the Coney Island Creek.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43So, the ocean came in, but round the back?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Yes, and flooded the entire area.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52So, after the tough years that this place has endured,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54that was another bitter blow.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58It was, but it gave many of us a new start.
0:31:03 > 0:31:11Coney Island rebuilt, again, at a cost of a further 2 billion.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14It's now attracting a record number of visitors.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I have a huge respect for the resilience this place has shown.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24There is a powerful sense here that the best days lie ahead,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28and it's that optimism, that energy, that makes this one of the
0:31:28 > 0:31:30most exciting places in the world.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39ANITA: It's lunchtime.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43The two restaurants, four snack bars and dozens of pushcarts
0:31:43 > 0:31:45are doing a roaring trade.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48This year, they'll contribute 3 million towards
0:31:48 > 0:31:51the running of the park.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55It's a vital contribution and today some of that money is funding
0:31:55 > 0:31:57the restoration of a very famous feature.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Maintaining the 56 monuments within the park is a mammoth task.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05The lady in charge is Marie.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Hi. How are you?- Hi. Good.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09So, there's a lot of activity going on. What are the guys doing?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11So, we're performing annual maintenance on
0:32:11 > 0:32:14the Alice In Wonderland sculpture,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17and what this team of five interns is doing is applying
0:32:17 > 0:32:19a hot wax treatment to the bronze.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23What the wax will do is protect the bronze from the elements.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- So they're using a flame-thrower? - Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29So, they need to heat up the surface of the bronze in order
0:32:29 > 0:32:32so they can apply the wax and it can really impregnate the surface.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34So, how long will that protection last?
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Well, lasts about a year.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39We do this every year to all of the monuments,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43and this monument in particular gets a kind of special attention,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47in part because it is considered a play sculpture.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50So, it's a monument that children can actually climb on
0:32:50 > 0:32:52and are encouraged to climb on.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Right, so, the shiny bits, where members of the public are
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- climbing all over the monument. - Yeah.- Wow.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- Yeah.- You allow that to happen?
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Just on this monument and a couple of others.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Right. You don't let them touch any of the others.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- You can't climb Shakespeare. - Fair enough.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07And this monument specifically, what's the history of this?
0:33:07 > 0:33:11This one was installed in 1959, and it was initiated by
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- a philanthropist named George Delacorte...- OK.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16..who wanted to create a memorial to his wife.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19And his wife loved children, and so he thought to commission
0:33:19 > 0:33:23a monument to this great story of Alice In Wonderland,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and so it shows Alice and her entourage.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29So, how long is it going to take them to do this?
0:33:29 > 0:33:30It takes about four hours.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34You know, we want to kind of close it for as little time as possible
0:33:34 > 0:33:37so that we can open it back up and the public can enjoy it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43The overall budget for running this place is 65 million a year.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49Three quarters of that money comes from donations,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52often in the form of large sums like bench sponsorship,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56which costs 10,000, but more usually in smaller amounts.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Last year, around 60,000 people made donations,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05but some people prefer to contribute in a different way.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07This is the green team, and these people are part of
0:34:07 > 0:34:11the 3,000 volunteers that give up their time to look after the park.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- Hello, Rita.- Hello.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- How are you? - I'm very well, thank you.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- So, tell me what you're doing here. - Well, I'm getting rid of clover,
0:34:18 > 0:34:23but I want to get the roots so that I can make sure it doesn't come back.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25But it will come back. I know how these plants work.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- It's constant work, yeah? - Constant work, yes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30And then how long have you been doing this for?
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- About 27 years.- 27 years?
0:34:33 > 0:34:37And over those 27 years, you must have seen an amazing transformation.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41We first began, my husband and I,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43just picking up trash and there was a good deal.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47People would throw cigarettes and their dirty things around
0:34:47 > 0:34:48and we would pick that up.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51We rarely find trash of that nature any more.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53The park's beautiful, basically, now.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56When you keep it clean, it stays that way,
0:34:56 > 0:34:57and it really makes a difference.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59And that's mainly because of you guys.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Well, only because of me. I'm the only one!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05No, not really.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08How does it make you feel to be a part of this community
0:35:08 > 0:35:09and be working in this park?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11It's the best thing in my life, really.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I have friends that I would never have had -
0:35:14 > 0:35:15they're much younger, most of them -
0:35:15 > 0:35:19and they're wonderful and we have parties and we celebrate,
0:35:19 > 0:35:24but mainly the park is the draw and it's really my own back yard.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Thank you, Rita, and keep up the good work.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Thank you. I shall. Thank you.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And be sure you put everything in the trash.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- Yes.- OK.- Yes, yes. Yes, ma'am.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35OK. Yeah, sure.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Thanks to the efforts of people like Rita,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42the park is a protected and unchanging part of
0:35:42 > 0:35:45the geography of the city,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49but, beyond its borders, New York is a permanent construction site.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55There are more than 4,500 buildings going up right now.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07Historically, this place solved its space problems by building up,
0:36:07 > 0:36:13but this vertical city is now, to all intents and purposes, full,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17which is why a huge new development is being built on top of
0:36:17 > 0:36:18a working rail depot.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22This is the only land left to build on.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29I can't resist having a nose around this 25 billion project.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31The man in charge is Jay Cross.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35- Jay.- Indeed.- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40In nine years' time, Hudson Yards will be home to 4,000 flats,
0:36:40 > 0:36:45100 shops and more than 10 million square feet of office space.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It'll even have its own power station.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51It's the largest private real-estate development
0:36:51 > 0:36:53in the history of the USA.
0:36:53 > 0:36:54So, let me get this right.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58You bought the space, the air, above a train yard?
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- That's right.- What did that cost?
0:37:00 > 0:37:01It cost about 1 billion.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- You spent 1 billion and you didn't get any land?- Correct.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So what happened is the railroad was very insistent that they had to
0:37:08 > 0:37:11keep running a rail yard here, so they own the ground,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13and they basically sold us -
0:37:13 > 0:37:15or leased us, actually, for 99 years -
0:37:15 > 0:37:18all of the air rights above the tracks.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- You spent 1 billion on a 99-year lease...- Yeah.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25- ..above a working train yard... - Correct.- ..to build that?
0:37:25 > 0:37:29That and a lot more over there, and so that's the opportunity.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31This must have loads of challenges.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It's very complicated. It's like open-heart surgery, really.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40They're building 13 skyscrapers here.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42To create their foundations,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45two-metre-wide cylinders called caissons are drilled
0:37:45 > 0:37:46between the train lines
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and down 50 metres into the bedrock of Manhattan.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Steel is connected to these cylinders to form
0:37:52 > 0:37:55the skeletons of the buildings.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59But, for engineer Geoff Butler, building this way has created
0:37:59 > 0:38:01a series of problems.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03As you look around, this is quite obviously
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- a hugely fabricated steel shell, isn't it?- Yes.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08We have a lot of heavy steel landing on just
0:38:08 > 0:38:11a few supports over the rail yard.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14'There are fewer steel columns meeting the ground than would
0:38:14 > 0:38:17'typically be used in this type of build,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'so the steel here has to support a colossal weight.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:22These columns are very heavy.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23Instead of being hollow,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25it's solid steel with plates stacked together.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- So that's solid?- It's solid steel.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30And because they're so heavy, they're only in four-metre sections
0:38:30 > 0:38:32that all have to be connected in the field.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34And it can take a couple of welders at least a week
0:38:34 > 0:38:36to work on one connection.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38So, how many storeys in this building?
0:38:38 > 0:38:4092.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43So you've got to weld every four metres for 92 storeys.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44Yes.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- That's a lot of welding. - That's a lot of welding.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52'Currently there are more than 100 welders employed on this site -
0:38:52 > 0:38:54'more or less every available qualified welder
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'in the whole of New York State.'
0:38:57 > 0:39:00You'd think with a four-metre column section on top of each other
0:39:00 > 0:39:03that the area of the weld would be a weak point, but it's not.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07The four-metre column is dropped in with a V in it,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09and it's this V here that's filled up individually
0:39:09 > 0:39:12with layers and layers of weld,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15until it comes to the outside, which is the ninth layer.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19The heat that penetrates each part joins the two together
0:39:19 > 0:39:20and it's that that gives it the strength.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22This is a strong point.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Get this bit wrong and the whole lot will fall down.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29MUSIC: Conversation 16 by The National
0:39:29 > 0:39:31One of the skyscrapers is already topped out
0:39:31 > 0:39:35and almost ready for people to move in.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Urban planner Michael Samuelian is taking me to the top.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42People are moving into the bottom part and the top part.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46We're still finishing up the structure and the mechanical stages.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Right.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50- It's pretty high, then.- Yeah.
0:39:50 > 0:39:5243.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Lovely.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57'Up here, I'm able to get a feel of what it would be like
0:39:57 > 0:40:00'to live and work so high up.'
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- What a great space! - It's amazing, isn't it?
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Do you know what? I could definitely see this as someone's office.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Yes, it's going to be a pretty fantastic office space.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09It's floor-to-ceiling windows,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11which gives you really great views of the entire city.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Even on a day like this, the views are amazing.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16You can see the Empire State Building right over there,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and all of midtown Manhattan just in front of us.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22So, this would be someone's corner office, glass partitions here,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26- big door, massive desk, big chair... - Mm-hmm.- Oh, yeah.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Yeah, master of their universe.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32So, if you imagine the place in the future when it's all occupied,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34how many people are going to be housed within this area?
0:40:34 > 0:40:39When we're fully built out in 2025, 125,000 people will live in,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41work in or visit where we are today.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I mean, that's a small city in America -
0:40:43 > 0:40:44actually, a mid-sized city in America.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48And I guess if somebody wants to replicate what you've done
0:40:48 > 0:40:49anywhere else in the city,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51they're going to have to knock down entire blocks.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Yeah, this is six city blocks, so you would have to demolish
0:40:54 > 0:40:55a lot of buildings in order to replicate
0:40:55 > 0:40:57what we're doing right here.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00- In fact, it's just not viable. - It's absolutely impossible.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01OK, so I'm sold.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04What's it going to cost me to live in Hudson Yards?
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Well, it will probably cost you anywhere from 2 million for
0:41:07 > 0:41:10a starter apartment up to 50 million for probably the biggest
0:41:10 > 0:41:12apartment at the top of the building.
0:41:12 > 0:41:1350 million?
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- Five-oh, yes. - Five-oh, 50 million, OK.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19I'm going to stay in Hertfordshire.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20But isn't it a great view?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22It's a great view!
0:41:24 > 0:41:28For me, this development typifies the ambition of New York.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34The spiritual home of the skyscraper is reinventing land use.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44That was amazing, Anita, and you know what it makes me think,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46is that this is the city of the skyscraper
0:41:46 > 0:41:50and every inch of land is important.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53But it's not just land now, it's about aerial real estate.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54You're paying for the air above you.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57I know. It's mental, isn't it? But incredible.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00But it just goes to show that Manhattan is a place for the rich.
0:42:00 > 0:42:01It's a paradise for them.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04The only people who can afford to buy property here
0:42:04 > 0:42:06are the uber-wealthy or foreign investors,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09and what that does is it pushes out the traditional communities
0:42:09 > 0:42:11to other areas,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and in so doing they then change the face of other communities as well.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Anita, that story is happening all over the world.
0:42:16 > 0:42:17I grew up in east London.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19I left, not because of gentrification,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22but I can't go back now because it's so expensive.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25And what it's done is it's changed the make-up of the community.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- I'm part of that gentrification. - It's your fault!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30I've moved into east London, and you're right, it might be more
0:42:30 > 0:42:35homogenised but it's safer, and it's a really nice place to live.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38So, you're an Asian wonderwoman that's come down from Yorkshire
0:42:38 > 0:42:40to save east London.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Listen, the battle for gentrification is going on
0:42:43 > 0:42:46in this city, and the front line is over there.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55At the northern end of the park is Harlem...
0:42:55 > 0:42:58JAZZ PLAYS
0:42:58 > 0:43:01..a heartland of black culture and politics,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05famous for the flowering of the Jazz Age in the 1920s,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07that became infamous for drugs and crime.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10SIREN WAILS
0:43:10 > 0:43:12MUSIC: Born To Die by Lana Del Ray
0:43:12 > 0:43:16By the '80s, entire blocks had been abandoned,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18but today it has transformed into one of New York's
0:43:18 > 0:43:22most desirable places to live.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Harlem is gentrifying.
0:43:25 > 0:43:30'Willie Suggs moved here in 1985 and set up as a local estate agent.'
0:43:30 > 0:43:33- I'm Ade.- I'm Willie, and welcome to my beautiful block.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34Thank you.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37This area seems so peaceful and tranquil -
0:43:37 > 0:43:40I can't imagine there being any trouble here.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Oh, no, it was very interesting the first year I was in the house.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46I remember walking out the front door and I saw a man run by,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49followed by another man with a gun, and he was shooting at him.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51- Seriously?- Oh, yeah. - Shooting at him?
0:43:51 > 0:43:56Yes, in 1990 we had 55 murders in this police precinct.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59Last year there were two.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03In 1994, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani implemented
0:44:03 > 0:44:06a citywide zero-tolerance policy on crime.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10NEWSREADER: On a wet night in south Brooklyn,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14officers of the 67th Precinct prepare for the graveyard shift.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Their task, to keep the streets of their neighbourhoods safe.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23He put 12,000 more police on patrol and implemented
0:44:23 > 0:44:25a crackdown on antisocial behaviour,
0:44:25 > 0:44:30and as crime fell here in Harlem, house prices went up.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34'Willie bought her first home for 50,000.'
0:44:34 > 0:44:37And how much are these houses worth now?
0:44:37 > 0:44:40If it's a house that needs renovation, 3 million.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42If it's done, it's 4 million to 5 million.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45That is incredible.
0:44:45 > 0:44:46- Yes, I'm very happy.- 4 to 5...
0:44:46 > 0:44:49- Yeah, I'm sure you'd be very happy! - WILLIE LAUGHS
0:44:50 > 0:44:53'Soaring house prices are good news for people like Willie,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57'who own their own homes, but not for renters.'
0:44:57 > 0:45:00SIREN WAILS
0:45:00 > 0:45:02'As Harlem gets even more desirable,
0:45:02 > 0:45:06'landlords are hiking up rental prices.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10'Since 2002, they have gone up as much as 90%.'
0:45:10 > 0:45:12- Hey, my name's Ade. Nice to meet you.- Mike. How are you?
0:45:12 > 0:45:14- Yeah, cool. You?- Pleasure. Pleasure.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16'At this Baptist church in central Harlem,
0:45:16 > 0:45:20'Pastor Mike Walrond is worried that long-term residents
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'can no longer afford to live here.'
0:45:23 > 0:45:26We help so many people who are losing their apartments,
0:45:26 > 0:45:28about to lose their apartments,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30people who are literally trying to fight
0:45:30 > 0:45:34to stay in this community, but it's becoming harder and harder every day.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36So, I don't know how this is going to play out,
0:45:36 > 0:45:39but I do think you'll see more New Yorkers who are not as
0:45:39 > 0:45:41financially well off leaving the state.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44The demographic of Harlem is changing.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47The once 98% black community now makes up
0:45:47 > 0:45:49less than half its residents.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52And has the change caused any tensions?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55It has created some tensions racially
0:45:55 > 0:45:57because there are people who'll say, you know,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00the whites, white people are taking over Harlem,
0:46:00 > 0:46:02and that's not necessarily the case.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04But it is easy to do that, to make that claim,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07when you see such a change in the landscape.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11So, what do you think about the word or the term "gentrification"?
0:46:11 > 0:46:15Well, in certain quarters, if you raise that word, it could...
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- That could be a fighting word in certain places.- Seriously?
0:46:18 > 0:46:23Because I think it has become a taboo word, a bad word, in certain circles.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25For many people it's a terrifying word,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29and it causes a lot of fear and it spawns a lot of emotions.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33But I tell people all the time, these landlords, these developers
0:46:33 > 0:46:37are not chasing white dollars - they are chasing green dollars.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Some people say that what's happening in Harlem
0:46:39 > 0:46:43is simply part of living in a free-market economy,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47but Pastor Mike feels the financial boom is coming at too high a price.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49I mean, isn't this just progress?
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Here's the one potential problem,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54that when the landscape begins to change,
0:46:54 > 0:46:59when the demographics begin to shift, the population changes,
0:46:59 > 0:47:00something will be lost.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03What makes Harlem Harlem is not the buildings,
0:47:03 > 0:47:07it is not the businesses, it is the people.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It's not just happening in Harlem.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16Gentrification and the displacement of long-term residents is
0:47:16 > 0:47:19one of the city's thorniest issues.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Take Brooklyn - once Manhattan's poor cousin,
0:47:23 > 0:47:26with strong Irish, Italian and Jewish communities,
0:47:26 > 0:47:29today a byword for hipster culture.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35This change came about under Mayor Bloomberg's tenure
0:47:35 > 0:47:37in the early 2000s,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41when property developers were encouraged to invest and build here.
0:47:41 > 0:47:46It now has the least affordable housing market in the whole country.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50The average salary here is 45,000 -
0:47:50 > 0:47:53the average rent 33,000.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58Everyone knows someone who is living this nightmare.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01'Donna Mossman has rented in the Crown Heights district
0:48:01 > 0:48:03'for 38 years.'
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Tell me about your experience with change in this neighbourhood.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09All the mom-and-pop shops are gone,
0:48:09 > 0:48:13and even the stores that have stayed, the shops that have stayed,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15raised their prices,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17redid their stores,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19because now we have people in the community
0:48:19 > 0:48:21who can afford these prices.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24And that's the issue that we have, that tenants have,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27that the community have, is that you're beautifying the neighbourhood
0:48:27 > 0:48:30and yet you're pushing us out at the same time.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32'But Donna won't be pushed.'
0:48:32 > 0:48:37Who can afford 2,500-a-month rent? I know that I cannot, so we fight.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Don't raise the rent.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42People need some relief, and landlords are making money.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Let's be real clear.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47In 2013, Donna and her neighbours set up
0:48:47 > 0:48:52the Crown Heights Tenant Union, part of a citywide grass-roots movement
0:48:52 > 0:48:55trying to resist gentrification.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57We believe a tenant is a tenant.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59It doesn't matter if you're a long-standing tenant, right?
0:48:59 > 0:49:00Or you're a new tenant.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04But join us because you too are being overcharged,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07you too are being harassed, you too are being taken advantage of.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10It's everyone's story as long as you're a tenant.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19'As real estate becomes ever more valuable in this crowded city,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21'the odds are stacked against tenants,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24'but Donna and her strength-in-numbers strategy
0:49:24 > 0:49:27'is a force to be reckoned with.'
0:49:27 > 0:49:29So, Donna, with all the changes that are going on
0:49:29 > 0:49:30in this neighbourhood,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33do you see yourself still living here in ten years' time?
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Absolutely. I'm not going anywhere.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39There's a fight to be fought
0:49:39 > 0:49:42and I'm going to continue to fight that fight.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51ANITA: It's 3pm, the park's busiest time of day.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54With no entry fee, it's open to everyone -
0:49:54 > 0:49:56truly a park for the people.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00This democratic vision was at the heart of
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Olmsted and Vaux's original plan,
0:50:04 > 0:50:09and it's ever more important in this unequal city, which is why the
0:50:09 > 0:50:14authorities are spending 350 million on New York's parks this year.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18I'm in the North Woods,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20which is one of the most secluded areas in the park,
0:50:20 > 0:50:26and I'm joined by the Commissioner for all of New York's 1,700 parks,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28the head honcho, Mitchell Silver.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31What's the value of a park in a city?
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Well, this one is for public health.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35We believe in having healthy communities
0:50:35 > 0:50:37and there's no better place to get healthy than in a park.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41People may sleep in their apartments but you live in your open spaces,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and that's why Central Park, and all the other parks in the city,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46are so important to the livability of our city.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49You have physical recreation but it's also for mental health.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52I watch people come off the street, walk into the park
0:50:52 > 0:50:55and, all of a sudden, you see their eyes gazing at the beauty.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56It does something to you,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59so it is vital to the public health of our citizens
0:50:59 > 0:51:01and vital to the public health of our city.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05People of all ages and races have access to the same park.
0:51:05 > 0:51:081,700 parks, that's quite a lot that you have to look after.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10How do you prioritise where the money goes?
0:51:10 > 0:51:13We prioritise in terms of equity. That's very important to us.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15We want to make sure, as we plan our park system,
0:51:15 > 0:51:17that each neighbourhood throughout the city
0:51:17 > 0:51:21has their fair share of resources so they can have an outstanding park.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22One example is the High Bridge.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25Now, here is a bridge that has been abandoned that connected
0:51:25 > 0:51:27two boroughs, Manhattan and the Bronx.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29It had been closed for about 40 years.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33We've invested close to 100 million to restore this beautiful bridge.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39The bridge connects the Bronx to a 119-acre park
0:51:39 > 0:51:42across the water in Manhattan,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45providing vital green space and exercise facilities
0:51:45 > 0:51:48for one of the poorest communities in the city.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52So, that is one that really connects a community in need that's done.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Another one, we're experimenting with
0:51:54 > 0:51:56just changing these former monumental parks
0:51:56 > 0:51:59to, really, neighbourhood assets, is Washington Square Park.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Here's one that's been transformed. The plaza has been changed.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05We now have this nice mounded area where kids can now play -
0:52:05 > 0:52:07we're calling it "creative play".
0:52:07 > 0:52:10And it's now become this incredible asset,
0:52:10 > 0:52:12not just for tourists but the neighbours around them.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14And what about the future?
0:52:14 > 0:52:15We have changing demographics.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18We have to look at the elderly, where there's adult playgrounds.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19Adult playgrounds, did you say?
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Adult playgrounds. We now have adult fitness.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24We have ways where seniors, as they age -
0:52:24 > 0:52:27well, they can enjoy the parks as well.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30The 19th-century vision of this park,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32as a force for social cohesion,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36has proved extraordinarily forward-thinking,
0:52:36 > 0:52:42as successful now as it was when the place opened 150 years ago.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46But beyond the park, how is the city shaping up for the future?
0:52:52 > 0:52:57The glitz and apparent wealth of New York disguises its problems.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04An increasing gap between rich and poor,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07decaying transport infrastructure
0:53:07 > 0:53:11and a growing and ageing population are all hot topics.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16'I want to find out what the biggest concern is for New Yorkers.'
0:53:17 > 0:53:22So, I'm in Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, and this is really a place to visit.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24It's kind of known as hipster-ville -
0:53:24 > 0:53:27it's full of cool bars and coffee shops and lovely boutiques -
0:53:27 > 0:53:31so I'm quite intrigued to find out what it's really like to live here.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35'It's immediately clear there's one thing they all agree on.'
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Do you live in this area?
0:53:37 > 0:53:39I used to live here. I lived here for seven years,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42and I've been in the city for the last five or six years.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44So, why did you leave here?
0:53:44 > 0:53:47My rent doubled overnight.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Like any city, like any major city, it's mad expensive.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55If everyone here is paying 3,000 for an apartment,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58and the people that deliver the food are only making 11 an hour,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00this is not going to work.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04In this wealthy city,
0:54:04 > 0:54:1045% of New Yorkers are classified as living in or near poverty,
0:54:10 > 0:54:14which is why the current administration has dreamt up
0:54:14 > 0:54:16the One NYC scheme.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20This is a real blueprint for change in this city.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23This is going to be a game-changer in this city.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26It's a wide-ranging package of measures designed to make
0:54:26 > 0:54:29the city a better and easier place to live in,
0:54:29 > 0:54:34and promises to lift 800,000 people out of poverty.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Helping so many of our fellow New Yorkers
0:54:36 > 0:54:38finally be able to make ends meet,
0:54:38 > 0:54:42and finally be able to know they can keep living
0:54:42 > 0:54:44in their own neighbourhood.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46One way to fulfil these ambitious promises
0:54:46 > 0:54:49is to build more social housing.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52This development in Brooklyn aims to address
0:54:52 > 0:54:54the problem of gentrification.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57This, a really nice-looking building, actually,
0:54:57 > 0:55:02is specifically designed to preserve the local community -
0:55:02 > 0:55:04only low-income families can come and live here.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08'Functional and basic,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10'200,000 affordable apartments like this
0:55:10 > 0:55:12'are planned for the next ten years.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15'52,000 are already welcoming tenants.'
0:55:16 > 0:55:19This is it. It's a studio apartment.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21It's got an air conditioner, a radiator,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23a little bathroom, a kitchenette,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and the average market rate for a place like this
0:55:26 > 0:55:30would be about 1,500, which is just under £900.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34But here, because it's only for the local community and only for
0:55:34 > 0:55:38low-income families, some people are paying about 100 per month.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41It's based totally on what you can afford.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48Also included in Mayor De Blasio's blueprint for change is job creation,
0:55:48 > 0:55:49improving public transport
0:55:49 > 0:55:53and future-proofing against another Hurricane Sandy.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57'But it won't be straightforward.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00'Urban planner Professor Ron Shiffman is worried this spending could have
0:56:00 > 0:56:04'a seismic impact on the character of the city.'
0:56:04 > 0:56:08We need to begin to look at the money we're spending now to protect
0:56:08 > 0:56:10ourselves against climate change.
0:56:10 > 0:56:14We need to look at the money that is being generated by Wall Street
0:56:14 > 0:56:19and other places in a way that benefits all of New York City
0:56:19 > 0:56:21and keeps its diversity in place,
0:56:21 > 0:56:24because if we don't keep the diversity in place,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26then New York City is going to become boring,
0:56:26 > 0:56:28it'll become hyper-segregated,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32and it will not be a place that you will want to visit.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35I mean, this is a city that has gone through depression,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38time and time again, and risen from the ashes like a phoenix,
0:56:38 > 0:56:39and, well, quite literally risen.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41What's the future of New York?
0:56:41 > 0:56:44I think it's going to be a roller-coaster but I am...
0:56:44 > 0:56:47I am confident that the people of the city of New York
0:56:47 > 0:56:51will come together and will be able to preserve the values
0:56:51 > 0:56:53that have built this city.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55The residents don't doubt it.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59What's so good about living in New York?
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Oh, my God. You can be whoever you want to be.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05I just feel like there's never a dull moment in New York.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Like, I wouldn't have, like, this if I didn't love it.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10This is dedication to a city. I love that.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14It's the most wonderful place on earth - so good they named it twice.
0:57:15 > 0:57:20In the last 40 years alone, New York has come close to bankruptcy,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23suffered the world's most visible terror attack
0:57:23 > 0:57:26and weathered the USA's second-worst storm.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29Optimism is built into its DNA.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42There is no doubt about it - this city is amazing.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45It's ambitious, it's resilient, it's beautiful...
0:57:45 > 0:57:48- Yes, it's got its problems, but, then, what city hasn't?- Yeah.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51A highlight for me has got to be filming up in the community gardens
0:57:51 > 0:57:55in the Bronx, to see how the locals are adapting to not having
0:57:55 > 0:57:58any fresh fruit or vegetables in the area and growing their own.
0:57:58 > 0:57:59It was lovely. It's brilliant.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01I've loved meeting the people of Harlem.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Pastor Mike and Willie - both trying to keep their community
0:58:04 > 0:58:06together in different ways, but, you know,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08if they are able to succeed,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10what a powerful message that sends to other cities
0:58:10 > 0:58:13struggling with gentrification around the world.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15Oh, I love how the city's constantly developing.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17In a place where space is at such a premium,
0:58:17 > 0:58:19they've got to look at genius ways of building,
0:58:19 > 0:58:23and Hudson Yards - I mean, they've created skyscrapers out of thin air.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24It's just amazing.
0:58:24 > 0:58:26Thank you for watching,
0:58:26 > 0:58:29and, from all of us here in New York, it's bye-bye.
0:58:29 > 0:58:30- Goodbye.- Goodbye.