Faculty & Students Agree: New Mercer St. Building’s Beautiful Roof Garden Makes Us Forget About Slavery In NYU-Abu Dhabi

After NYU released the plans for 181 Mercer St., the all-purpose building that is replacing Coles on Mercer and Bleecker, the NYU family was blown away by the design. With beautiful floor-to-ceiling glass windows and broad indoor plazas on every floor, everyone is in agreement that it looks wonderful and decadent. Students and faculty are particularly impressed by the roof garden on the side of the building, which will feature trees and benches.

Many feel that the roof garden validates more than a decade of brutal expansion by the university across New York and ruthless imperialism in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. Randy Carpets, CAS ‘19, said, “It really justifies driving thousands of lifelong residents out of their homes! I couldn’t be happier!”

Teresa Tomlinson, a Professor of Media Studies in Steinhardt, declared that “it really makes me forget about NYU’s tacit use of unpaid labor in Abu Dhabi!” Her colleague John Porridge, who also is enjoying the new roof garden, replied, “What slavery?” They then shared a hearty laugh.

In addition to benches and trees, the roof garden will have eco-friendly lighting and beautiful views of a city that is no longer livable for most people because of neoliberal forces like NYU. The garden will have a lemonade vendor in the warm seasons.