End of an era

[Bluebell]

[GrumpysWife]

Notice how neat and clean it is even when they are doing construction demolition.

[SUNRAY]

So sad, but exciting too! Thanks for the pictures.

[pinkpopcorn]

I think they just painted over the words on the building. So they put down a drop cloth over the sidewalk. But is is rather sad. We do know they are rebuilding in Warrick. I wonder if the brothers are leaving NYC because stuff may get bad in the city? I think anywhere we live is going to get bad. But being in high-rises is going to have it's own specific set of problems. I do know that many brothers and sisters had PTSD after seeing the carnage across the river from headquarters. They watched it out their windows. How horrible. So this is a good thing.  

[Junebaby]

So sad, but exciting too! Thanks for the pictures.

I agree!

[bohemian]

But Jehovah's chariot moves ever forward! 

[Dave]

I wonder if the brothers are leaving NYC because stuff may get bad in the city?

Interesting question Chris. I've wondered about this myself.

After reading the article about the new development at Warwick (posted Aug 5 on jw.org/news) I posed the same question to my daughter who recently visited up there. Something she was told was that the new Warwick HQ for JW's was 'being built with the new system in mind'.

I find that interesting and if true it makes perfect sense. Although completion is still some time off yet.

But, think about it. What will the governing body need to be concerned about and involved with immediately after Armageddon? If they were in the city and completely surrounded by devastation, this could make it very difficult for them to function as they would need to.

I understand the buildings in Warwick are mostly low rise and will probably be built to newer building codes able to withstand severe weather and earthquake forces, etc. It would be much easier from Jehovah's point of view having them out of the way (in rural surrounds) when that day finally comes. I understand that their transportation costs will be much higher now that they're off the beaten track and away from that more central area of NYC but we can be sure this all has Jehovah's stamp of approval.

Jehovah knows the times and seasons. He held off bringing the flood in Noah's day until the ark was built and Noah and his family were safely inside and ready. I wonder if there is some kind of parallel with the new HQ buildings in Warwick....

Edited August 21, 2013 by Dave

[Qapla]

The new building plan is to complete the 4 year project in two and a half years.

 

Also, since there is no longer a need for the kind of access to shipping that once was there, being in a remote area should not increase distribution cost to any extent. They can now send complete documents, books, magazines, etc. around the world using the Internet and they are printed where needed. And, since more printed material is moved via truck instead of rail or ship, the cost of moving the short distance they are moving will be offset by not sitting in the backed-up heavy traffic that NY City has.

 

I just wondered why they didn't move to a more "agreeable" climate, like that around Atlanta, Ga - a city that is also a major hub for transportation and Internet usage. But, they are directed by Holy Spirit - not by what I think or wonder

[Holly]

Big City NY and Armageddon?  T R O U B L E!  Think, too, of all the money being saved by utilizing all of the newest technology including the self-sufficiency of being more of a green space.  Wind turbines, geo-thermal technology, sooooo many ways to use natural resources now.  Quite sure these types of things will be utilized.  Jehovah's organization is a progressive one!

[Yoda]

Thank you for the pictures.. A New beginning... If these projects are directed by Jehovah? A member of a governing body says about

This argument: we are not sure about this... But from one thing we are sure that Jehovah is leading his work..

A lot of years ago, I remember that when branches were built in Spain, Italy.. A lot of brothers were so excited that they believed

A lot of things what I am reading here... Now These branches are closed, or relocated... From my standpoint these are organizazional

Decisions that can have their benefits, also financially of course..

And if I read the study from the latest revision of the faithful slave, the brothers think that they will be in heaven BEFORE

Armagheddon begins..thus they would not be with us after armageddon in leading us..

Thus believing that these buildings are made for thus purpose? We wiil have to wait until that period.. Apostle Paul said..

Now we are seeing not very clear, and whe profetizise PARTIALLY!, but when that times come we will know.......

I am excited about these new projects of course.. But please let us not speculate,

[SUNRAY]

One nice thing about the Warwick location is the near proximity to Walkill and Patterson.,It is possible the climate will change after the GT

[pnutts]

I always wanted to visit World headquarters - however because of its location in Brooklyn-I would not. 30 + years ago my sister & hubby went and parked on the street near Bethel -brothers were amazed they still had a complete vehicle afterwards. I understand it has been much improved since then.

Warwick--out in the country, low impact, energy efficient -my kind of building-right up my alley

[Dages]

That's... kind of sad...

[pnutts]

Not SAD ( Special Assembly Day )   but finally!  It has been 9 years since printing stopped at Brooklyn - Be safer for brothers working at Warwick and those visiting -however still no printing to be done there. Seems to me that there is building expansion at Walkill.

I know someone at Bethel that saw the 2nd plane hit -his wife ( Laura's pic was on cover of Aug 22/92 Awake ) was at Furman St warehouse and had to be evacuated. Furman St. warehouse is now Brooklyn One luxury condos. Be glad when we are out of Brooklyn.

Edited August 21, 2013 by pnutts

[PottersClay]

If the picture were taken out of context it would look like "oh no the government has banned Jehovah's Wmtesses and is shutting the HQ"

[Shawnster]

I think they just painted over the words on the building. So they put down a drop cloth over the sidewalk. But is is rather sad. We do know they are rebuilding in Warrick. I wonder if the brothers are leaving NYC because stuff may get bad in the city? I think anywhere we live is going to get bad. But being in high-rises is going to have it's own specific set of problems. I do know that many brothers and sisters had PTSD after seeing the carnage across the river from headquarters. They watched it out their windows. How horrible. So this is a good thing.  

It's probably a good idea to leave any potential terrorist targets.  More bad stuff will happen and has happened in NYC than Warwick.

 

Where are these pictures from?  The OP is from UK, so which Watchtower branch is in the pictures?

[Shawnster]

I just wondered why they didn't move to a more "agreeable" climate, like that around Atlanta, Ga - a city that is also a major hub for transportation and Internet usage. But, they are directed by Holy Spirit - not by what I think or wonder

 

They are only moving out of NYC.  Wallkill and Patterson are still running strong in New York state.  Would moving HQ to Atlanta be the best economical move with the rest of the United States Branch still in New York state?

[Rajan]

All these posts about the new setup  ....  mmm  I was wondering   why  such a place was  chosen  like  "Warwick  (war, wicked..?) and then wallkilll (wallstreet...kill...??)   I meditated upon it and got insight ...

 

war...wick   (No more War,  No more wicked)

wall...kill  (No more wallstreet...no more kills..)

 

New Era starts...

[Shawnster]

All these posts about the new setup  ....  mmm  I was wondering   why  such a place was  chosen  like  "Warwick  (war, wicked..?) and then wallkilll (wallstreet...kill...??)   I meditated upon it and got insight ...

 

war...wick   (No more War,  No more wicked)

wall...kill  (No more wallstreet...no more kills..)

 

New Era starts...

 

Cute.  Funny play on the words.

 

The suffix kill used here comes from the Dutch language and means riverbed, channel or watercourse.  The cities in the area are named Wallkill, Peekskill, Spackenkill, etc... and were named by Dutch settlers. 

[Miss Bea]

Sort of bittersweet. I have lived in California all my life. Never, never saw myself getting to visit headquarters. Then my daughter moved to New Jersey. We got to visit Walkill and Paterson, both. And they are not in the truth. But, Brooklyn. I was too afraid to get out of my car in that city. And I almost think prior arrangements needed to be made for ones like me. A country gal. Period. I have been to lots of big cities for work, but New York just scared me. Never mind my son in law could get stressed over traffic, and the game was over. Just pray. And keep mouth shut.

But why would it be so important for us to get ready for the end, and Jehovah's organization not do the same?

[Qapla]

When we went to New York (my oldest daughter and me) we stayed in New Jersey - much cheaper - and used the subway to get around. We did not have any problems ... not even in Harlem or Brooklyn. Even had some strangers give us directions when they saw us looking at some computer printed maps we had to locate what we were there to see.

 

With the traffic in New York City, I would never want to take the car.

 

The only thing we noticed after the fact     We took the PATH train from Penn Station in Newark into NYC. The PATH train makes several stops before taking you right to where the World Trade Center was. The very first stop is Journal Square. We took that train for several days to and from NYC with the PATH train stopping at Journal Square and never realized .... had we gotten off at Journal Square and walked up to the street .... we would be right across the street from The Stanley Theater!  

[MizPeg]

All these questions are based on speculation, aren't they? Best to put your thoughts on the new Kingdom, and the benefits there-in. Meditation is best left for the daily Bible reading, true?

[Julsey]

End of an era, but the beginning of a glorious, new one! 

[carribbeangrl01]

Here is the video that goes with the pics in fast forward mode

 

http://vt.tumblr.com/tumblr_ms5xhl1M9t1s865f6.mp4#_=

[Qapla]

Slightly but this thread lends itself to this:

 

There has been the ending of another era that has gone mostly unnoticed or even unknown by most. We recently received a "new" set of MP3 recordings for our songs that we use at the Hall. We were encouraged to d/l these for use at the meetings since they make the songs a little easier to sing.

 

What many may not know is that, with these new recordings, we have ended one era and entered another. How so? For the first time in 20-30 years we are now singing to the piano playing of a different musician.

 

Going back prior to 1984 we used the songbook "Singing and Accompanying Yourselves With Music in Your Hearts” (the purple songbook). At first we had records to use for the meetings, later we used cassette tapes. In 1984 the songbook "Sing Praises to Jehovah" was released and, again, we were provided with recorded music to be used in the for the congregations. In 2009 we began using "Sing to Jehovah" at Our Meetings. Once again, we were provided with music for the congregations. Since the release of the cassette tapes and through the initial MP3's for the songbook we currently use the piano music we sing to was all played by the same brother.

 

However, since he died in 2010, and the MP3's we now use were recorded after his death, he is no longer the one we hear at the meetings while singing. "The end of an era", indeed.