Morning View: Met Life

Looming over Grand Central Terminal, the 58-story Brutalist Met Life Building, nee Pan Am, was briefly the largest office tower in the world. In 1975, in one of the most spectacular suicides in city history (well, until Doctor Boom), the CEO of Chiquita Bananas used his briefcase to shatter a window. Then him go splat on Park Avenue. Musta slipped on something.

Trivia: The Met Life Building is the most hated building in New York City. In polls, New Yorkers name it as the building they'd most like to see demolished. This picture was taken by leaning out of my office window. If you like big city buildings, as I do, I recommend The City Review, which is a block-by-block historical review and critique of major NYC buildings.