Not So High-Rise

Head in the clouds, so to speak.

Four or maybe five more luxury high-rise towers are coming our way this year in the what-used-to-be charming village of Sarasota. That’s in addition to the nine that have been built over the last two years, each one taller and more expensive than the other. So, in no time at all, the  beautiful, welcoming sunshine that everyone comes here for, will be forever replaced by shadows...long, sad, oppressive shadows. 

And for the most part, those buildings will be empty. Reserved for the occasional weekend away or maybe Spring Break. Otherwise, empty. Waiting. Taking up space in the sky. Casting shadows.

Personally, I love a beautiful high-rise. I live in one. One of the shorter ones – a not-so-high-rise. One of the few that existed when I moved here eight years ago. So, maybe voicing my concern sounds hypocritical. However, I also love a dry martini, maybe two, but 13 or 14 is definitely too many and could make  a person sick, I’m guessing. 

“The difficulty with big cities does not lie in skyscrapers or high-rises per se; rather, it is the values concealed within those buildings which lead to the loss of our humanity.” 

— Ma Yansong