View from Fifth Avenue At Dusk
Closer, Towards The Arch
(Still) Plume-less Fountain
People in the Fountain, Including…
This Gal Deep in Thought
The Fountain Plaza and the Arch… Look Closer
Halloween comes early at Washington Square ?
Posted by cathryn on October 1, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/washington-square-fall-2012/
Khalil Gibran Near the Fountain…
A Closer Look
This artist, Honschar, has chalked memorable quotes on the Plaza at WSP a lot lately. He has a Facebook page.
So, if you look at the Fountain from the west, the fountain plume looks as if it is tilting south (left)…
The Fountain, looking East
When you look from the north looking south, it looks a bit more balanced.
Looking South…
Then, on the Plaza (maybe left over from Occupy Wall Street Saturday? These photos are from Monday), this made me think … wouldn’t it be nice if there was an arrow leading the way? But maybe there is, and we don’t always realize it. Or, as my sister said, “maybe the arrow is YOU! ;)” Exactly.
In the meantime, I’d like to note where the arrow is pointing…
Posted by cathryn on September 19, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/washington-square-september-2012-khalil-gibran-on-the-plaza-fountain-plumes-still-a-bit-off-and-direction-to-happiness/
The three ladies together are admiring the Arch I believe (correction: one is texting or looking up directions on her cell phone); the lone gal leaning against the (plume-deprived) fountain is perhaps reading a book.
Posted by cathryn on September 12, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/four-gals-by-the-fountain/
Fountain, No Plumes
Side Jet Uncovered
For a brief period beginning in late August, the fountain regained its side plumes but, alas, as of sometime last week, the fountain is plume-less again. In case you’re wondering, it seems one source of the trouble is this ‘jet,’ above, on the Northern end of the fountain which is uncovered at the moment. All the other jets, which are the source of the fountain’s side plumes, have brass coverings.
A reminder of the fountain in its glory (for a brief period, late summer, after no plumes for more than a year) – from a week and a half ago:
What a Difference a Plume (Or Two) Makes!
Top Two Photos: Cathryn
Bottom Photo: Scott Steinbaugh
Posted by cathryn on September 11, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/the-fountain-side-plume-less-again/
Plumes On!
After more than a year not functioning, the Washington Square Fountain Plumes are Back!
The new fountain debuted, with side plumes, in May of 2009. At some point in June of last year, the side plumes (or jets) stopped working and remained that way. I wrote about it in August (“It’s the Prime of Summer 2011: Is Something (New) Wrong with the Washington Square Fountain?”) and have wondered about it since. So imagine my surprise as I sat by the fountain yesterday and it slowly dawned on me that something was different.
No Plumes Summer 2011
2012: What a difference a plume makes!
No idea what caused the push to repair whatever the problem was but … yay! (I reached out to the Parks Department to find out some more information. We’ll see if there is a response.) It truly makes a difference. Scott who took these shots – thank you! – decided to sit down by the Fountain when he realized the plumes were on; he noted, “There’s less room to sit” but was in agreement it was nice having them on. Repaired just as the summer is coming to a close, the side plumes make the Fountain experience fuller somehow.
Top and Bottom Photos: Scott Steinbaugh
Middle Photo: Cathryn
Posted by cathryn on August 30, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/summer-of-2012-after-more-than-a-year-the-fountains-plumes-are-back-on/
August 2012
(I don’t usually post straight-on shots of the Fountain and Arch because the aligning of the Fountain with the Arch at Fifth Avenue just seems a little more crazy as time goes on. However, since it’s not really aligned and I liked this shot, I left it in.)
You’ll notice a man in the fountain reading a book…
And closer up… so caught up! Wonder what he’s reading…
Bobby (Red-Tailed Hawk) atop Judson Church cross (fountain plume to right)
Tree still dead near the Arch
Bustling near the Arch (Empire State Building in background)
Posted by cathryn on August 10, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/washington-square-summer-2012/
As I wrote earlier, I’d been in San Francisco. Here are some ‘snapshots’ from yesterday. Most perplexing: what is protruding from the top of the Arch?
A first look
the thing atop the Arch… another view
Wider view…
another view… (there’s a small bird there checking it out)
fenced off construction area
Interesting. The fence cordoning off Phase III construction has been draped with green plastic sheeting to obscure public view. Was this a decision of the contractor? the Parks Department? This was not the case during Phase II or Phase I. It’s not a terrible idea but it makes me wonder. Also there are no official signs indicating what is being done (as is traditionally the case).
southern end encased fencing
inside the construction zone
A last look at park buildings before demolition
A pigeon tried to land on this light and diverted his course and that’s when I noticed..
this…
shattered light, fountain plaza
Rain, the Fountain Plaza
Posted by cathryn on July 30, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/washington-square-sunday-mystery-atop-the-arch/
second time tree dies in location by the Arch
oh dear…
Previous tree, Last August
Since the Fountain Plaza was redesigned in 2009 and existing healthy 40 year old trees were axed so the Fountain could align with the Arch (sort of), nine young trees have been planted and subsequently died. The latest tree, located right near the Arch, hadn’t looked healthy for awhile and at last succumbed (pictured above). A tree died in this same location last August. Here is a recap from this blog on August 17, 2011 when the previous tree alongside the Arch died:
I’ve previously reported on the young trees dying repeatedly around the Washington Square Fountain, this tree (pictured above) now makes tree #8. Over the last two years, trees have been replaced by the Parks Department and died 3x in two locations around the fountain; a new arborcidal incident occurred on the western side just recently. Now this — the fourth location lining the fountain to exhibit a dead tree.
These events were forecast by a landscape architect I encountered back in August of 2009 who predicted ALL the trees around the fountain would likely die and attributed this to the design.
These young (now dead) trees replaced perfectly healthy living trees which were 40+ years old, axed because they got in the way of the Bloomberg Administration’s plan to move the famous fountain 22 feet east to align with the Arch at Fifth Avenue.
The reality is that these aren’t the only dead trees dying at Washington Square Park. North, South, East, West, Perimeter, Within – trees are dying all over at the park.
What can be done to stop the New York City Parks Department from committing this arborcide?
Note: In late September of last year, the Parks Department told WNBC-TV’s Chris Glorioso that they were studying the issue and conducting tests but it didn’t sound as if they planned to do anything differently despite expert advice isolating what they were doing wrong (that they continue to ignore).
Why will this agency in charge of our city’s trees not do the right thing? Is it political as I surmised (based on information from a source) at the onset?
Previously at WSP Blog:
July 11, 2011: Why do the Newly Planted Trees Around the Washington Square Fountain Keep Dying?
July 15, 2011: Arborcidal Design for Fountain Trees — Will City’s Parks Department Address This at Last?
December 10,2009: Two of Seven Newly Planted Trees that Line the Fountain have died — Is the cause the design?
Photos: Cathryn
Posted by cathryn on July 17, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/ninth-dead-tree-in-three-years-on-the-fountain-plaza-in-view-by-the-arch/
If you can’t be in the fountain today, hopefully looking at it will make you feel cooler!
Photo: Via Instagram from Kate Spade NY on Twitter
Posted by cathryn on June 21, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/too-cool-you-off-the-washington-square-fountain-photo/
Friday early evening.
Photo: Cathryn
Posted by cathryn on June 10, 2012
https://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/the-fountain/
