1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Lauren vogelbaumb here we humans love a superlative. There are 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: world records out there for the tallest buildings, both residential 4 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: and unoccupied, for the largest permanent vertical maze, and the 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: largest playing card structure. But today we're talking about the 6 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: world's skinniest skyscraper. It's called Steinway Tower, and it's located 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: at one eleven West fifty seventh Street in New York City. 8 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: The building stands one four hundred and twenty eight feet tall. 9 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: That's four hundred and thirty five meters, but it's no 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: more than sixty feet wide. That's eighteen meters, giving it 11 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 1: a width ratio of twenty four to one. If you're 12 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: having trouble imagining the width of this building, you could 13 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: think of it as about one and a half full 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: sized school buses long, or just shy of the distance 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: from the pitcher's mound to home plate on a Major 16 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: League Baseball pitch. But it is really tall. Only two 17 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: other skyscrapers in New York City are taller. There's the 18 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: one World Trade Center, which stands at one thousand, seven 19 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy six feet that's five hundred and forty 20 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: one meters tall, and Central Park Tower, which is one thousand, 21 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: five hundred and fifty feet or four hundred and seventy 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: two meters tall, but each of those are over three 23 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: times as wide as the Steinway. Steinway Tower was so 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 1: named because it's built above the famed Steinway and Son's 25 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: Piano company headquarters. It cost two billion dollars to build 26 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: and is in a high rent district smack dab in 27 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the middle of the southern end of Central Park. This 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: stretch of ultra luxury real estate is aptly nicknamed Billionaire's Row. 29 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: A Construction on the eighty four floor tower began in 30 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, and the building, with sixty condos total, began 31 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: welcoming residents in April of twenty twenty two. The cheapest 32 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: condo in Steinway Tower will reportedly set you back seven 33 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: point seventy five million dollars, with prices rising to more 34 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: than sixty six million for the Penthouse. This is a 35 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: three story condo connected by an oval staircase, with over 36 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: seven thousand square feet in its floor plan that's over 37 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: six hundred square meters. It includes four bedrooms, five baths, 38 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: fourteen foot high ceilings that's about four meters, and a 39 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: private elevator. But if you're interested, sorry, it's off the market. 40 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: It's sold to an international buyer who only viewed it virtually. 41 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: Most New Yorkers are happy to get a building with 42 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: a washer and dryer in the basement, But as you 43 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: might expect, Steinway Tower offers a few more amenities, including 44 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: a twenty four hour concierge and door attendant, a twenty 45 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: five meters swimming pool it's about eighty feet, a fitness center, 46 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: private shops, and a private dining room. There is a 47 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: slight downside to living among the clouds. The dimensions of 48 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: the tower make it highly susceptible to swaying when it's 49 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: hit by high winds as much as three feet that's 50 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: almost a full meter. Some visitors have complained of severe 51 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: nausea because of the swaying. A nearby residential building four 52 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: thirty two Park Avenue has been beset by engineering problems, 53 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: including sway, and those issues have been difficult to repair 54 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: because of the building's height. Whatever else they may have 55 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: done in creating Steinway Tower, the building's designers were attempting 56 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: to create something bold and memorable. While not the tallest 57 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: building in the world, it looks like they've fulfilled that mission, 58 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: though one critic who was not impressed with Steinway Tower's 59 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: dimensions said, these are not the proportions of a classical column, 60 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: but of a coffee stirer. This less than flattering nickname, 61 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: the coffee Stirer, has stuck. Today's episode is based on 62 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: the article maybe you can be Too Thin Meet the 63 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: World's skinniest skyscraper on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by Patti Resmusen. 64 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: Brainstuff is production of by Heart Radio in partnership with 65 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: HowStuffWorks dot Com, and is produced by Tyler Klain. The 66 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: four more podcasts from my Heart Radio visit the iHeartRadio app, 67 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.