Turtle Crossing, Prospect Park

Turtle crossing, Prospect Park

Walking in Prospect Park in Brooklyn this morning, I noticed a turtle crossing a wide road that winds through the Park. I wasn’t ready to get that picture but captured this as he (or she) made his way back to the safety of the water! He was scampering along. (The road he crossed is to the left; the turtle is on the sidewalk at this point, and the lake - his destination - is to the right.)

On his way to a Fourth of July picnic perhaps?

A Stroll through Washington Square Park

Two Ladies Enjoying a Great Day with a stroll through Washington Square Park
Photo: Daniel A. Norman

Squirrels Against Privatization of our Parks

Photo: Miriam West, one of the wonderful street artist vendors at Union Square Park

Recap: * Union Square: Not For Sale * Yesterday’s Event

Save Union Square 2008 gathering yesterday, Thursday, June 5th, at Union Square Park was quite the success!

Yes, there was a marching band! And a roving “Heroes of Union Square” walking tour featuring actors portraying George Washington, Paul Robeson, Emma Goldman, and Dorothy Day moving into different locations in the large space amidst the enthusiastic crowd gathered at the NorthWest corner of Union Square.

The Community Improvement District (the alternate version to how our communities can be imagined vs. the BID’s - business improvement district - “model”) table had a petition which gathered hundreds of signatures in a short time period. With marker, people wrote messages on price tags which were affixed to the construction site fence, such as “Not for Sale.”

The message:

Keep public parks public. No Private Restaurant in the Historic Union Square Park Pavilion !

Reverend Billy led the crowd with a spirited reading of the First Amendment several times to remind us - and our elected officials (like Mayor Bloomberg) - of our freedoms and rights.

City Council Member Rosie Mendez dropped by and spoke, defending her position of support for the restaurant, to a puzzled audience.

Towards the end, the crowd linked arms lining the north side and part of the west side of the fence surrounding Union Square, recited the First Amendment, and then festively marched over to the swank W Hotel, where the local Business Improvement District, Union Square Partnership (co-chaired by restauranteur Danny Meyer) was holding its annual self-congratulatory dinner. The Union Square Partnership has tremendous influence over Union Square Park and is the instigating force behind the proposal to place a private restaurant in the historic Pavilion.

It was quite an amazing scene to see people gathered around this upscale hotel with large-as-life, beautifully designed cardboard figures of George Washington and Emma Goldman, amidst the real-life actors portraying these noted figures, as well as the marching band, and raucous, impassioned crowd.

The spirit of the event was undeniable. The people inside the W in their evening attire sipping cabernet franc could not possibly have been experiencing anywhere near the vitality in the room that this diverse and dedicated gathering of people exhibited coming together to protect our public space.

PHOTOS: #1, 4 and 6: Rebecca Major
#2, 3 and 5: John Quilty
#7: Deanna

Squirrel at Washington Square Park - Oops!

The Pieces of the Washington Square Park Fountain - Dismantled

This is a photo of parts of Washington Square Park’s famous fountain dismantled and behind gates taken at the Park May 7th, ‘08.

There’s so much history there and yet the city just chops it up and prepares to install a new and “improved” version.

At a workshop last week, “Livable Neighborhoods,” presented by the Municipal Art Society, I heard Marci Reaven speak from the organization, Place Matters. She talked passionately about the importance of Places in New York City and why they matter. She stated that we must figure out ways to get that message across… we must be able to describe why a place is important, be able to describe it, and get the word out, ensuring that enough people know about it.

Now, with Washington Square Park, it would appear that quite a lot of people know about the place and they are able to talk eloquently about what they appreciate about it. (Whether enough people know what the redesign plans entail, still to this day, is another story…) But does New York City’s government hear? Perhaps that’s the question.

One of Ms. Reaven’s points was that when the physical landscape disappears, the “memory landscape” disappears also. Therefore, with New York City’s redesign “plans,” which alters the physical landscape of this historic park, it becomes that much more important to preserve the “memory landscape” of Washington Square Park - and somehow get the City to do so as well - and not stop trying to get the message out there.

**Link to Place Matters.

Updated Photos of Washington Square Park Re-”Construction”

I’ve updated the Photos Page to include recent photos of Washington Square Park’s Re-”Construction.”

Washington Square Park As It Looks Today: Gated Off

This Parks Department sign - “Working to Improve Your Park: Washington Square Park” - outlines some of New York City’s redesign plan and makes its appearance in numerous places throughout the Park.

People stop and avidly read it because they can’t quite figure out what in the world is going on at Washington Square Park when they see the North West quadrant and main plaza - the Arch, the Fountain (well, where it once was) - gated off.

Even after they digest its words, they ask, “Why?”

It’s an excellent question. One not easily answered.

Washington Square Park As It Looks Today: In Disarray

Behind the Gates of New York City’s Reconstruction of Washington Square Park, pictured here in the North West quadrant, these two Parks signs are falling over, presumably knocked down by machines bulldozing through.

The path has been widened to accommodate the machinery for this “renovation,” and, in doing so, it looks dug up awfully close to that tree.

Does this inspire confidence in how the redesign is proceeding?

What do you think?

Photo: Washington Sq Park In Full Swing(As It ‘Was’)