6. Crystal Palace
Had we kept the Crystal Palace, New York City might feel a lot more like Paris. Taking up nearly an entire block on 6th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Street, the Crystal Palace was an architectural feat of iron and glass with a massive dome built in 1853.
Accompanying the structure was also “New York City’s first skyscraper,” an octagonal observation tower taller than Trinity Church. A million visitors later, the entire Crystal Place went up in flames due to arson in 1858. Today, the site is now part of Bryant Park.
