December 15, 2006
Playground Vs. Restaurant in Union Square
The feathers are flying over plans to put a restaurant in the Union Square Park pavilion. The Villager is all over it: The Parks Department has been planning to put a new "seasonal" restaurant and expand the current playground. But critics don't want the restaurant plan at all and want a new playground immediately. Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates said, “This community has just two playgrounds, the fewest of any neighborhood in the entire city."
Union Square Community Council member Jack Taylor is also concerned about plans to put trees in the north plaza of the park, noting that the north end is an area for protests, rallies and Critical Mass. He told the Villager, “This is our Place de la Concorde, our Trafalgar Square, our Piazza del Popolo. It should not be beautified by rose trees or fancy paving.” Here was Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe's response:
The planned renovation of the north end of Union Square Park will complete the restoration of the park that started in 1984. The project, a public-private collaboration with the Union Square Partnership, has already been approved twice by Community Board 5 and also by the New York City Art Commission, and we are completing the working drawings so we can begin construction next year. The project will add a state-of-the-art playground — triple the size of the current one — with a new, handicapped-accessible public restroom. The seasonal public cafe will move inside the restored historic pavilion, freeing up outdoor space for the playground. Finally, the North Plaza will be rebuilt to provide a first-class public space for the Greenmarket, events and rallies. This project is a huge win for all the constituents of Union Square Park, one of the busiest and liveliest public spaces in the world.”Hmm, what would you choose? A playground or a restaurant - is the Parks Department being too greedy or taking advantage of location? There are more than enough restaurants in that neighborhood, but who doesn't love al fresco dining? We suppose the sad faces of children in a crowded playground would make us lose our appetite.
Photograph of the Pillow Fight earlier this year from bbbustard
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oh hell no!!! how the hell is we gonna have knife fights there anymore?
I would never eat at a restaurant in Union Square. I once saw a rat the size of a large cat crawling along the wall that borders the place that's there now (it is called the Luna Lounge? I can't recall).
Let me get this straight.
This guy and "the community" don't want the north end beautified and doesn't want the city to generate money by leasing out the restaurant????
Do people really need to complain about everything? They all ready f'ed up the renovations the city wanted to do in Washington Sq, now they want to f with Union Sq too???
We DO NOT need another playground....take your sticky yard monkeys to the burbs!!
borrowing our philosophy here at Newmindspace, public spaces are playgrounds! ;-)
Not that the city doesn't need more trees - but Union Square should always be regarded as a spot for free speech and public gatherings. If you want trees, go to Madison Square Park.
What is the issue? According to Benepe the Parks Dept. will re-configure the north pavillion so that playground space will triple and there will still be a restaurant. Is the problem that the larger playground will still not be large enough?
Wasn't there a similar communications breakdown a few years ago when the south side of the park was renovated?
sticky yard monkeys....hee hee
made my day
tim rules
Since New Yorkers love to point to progessive Europe as the beacon of everything smart in government, why can't we have a few outdoor restaurants that aren't crammed onto our pitifully tiny sidewalks? I loved dining outdoors in Roman piazzas.
And while I think kids need playgrounds, I'm getting tired of the pushy yuppie parent set. You bring your kids to bars, you run over people with your strollers made by Jeep, etc.
"Hmm, what would you choose? A playground or a restaurant"
Why make the choice between restaurant and playground? The plan is for both of them at once. It's not like they're getting rid of the playground, come on, they're tripling the size.
am i missing smthg? it sounds like there will be a restaurant in an existing structure AND a playground that is triple in size. why is the gothamist article written as if these features are mutually exclusive?
Don't worry your pretty little heads about the false dichotomy. It's written by a Columbia grad.
Ah, yes...the Madisonsquareparkification of Union Square Park...those lucky little bastards, I mean kids, er uh, squirrels. Yuppies?
Well, somebody's gotta be benefiting from this, and my bet is it's Starbucks.
Instead of attacking Gothamist for confused writing, why not discuss the actual issue of park renovation and use priorities? Could it be the former is easy to do and makes an anonymous commenter feel smug, and the latter involves actual thinking on behalf of commenters?
To those transplanted posters above:
NYC in it's later config was laid out in a grid system, with very few non-vehicle open spaces other than the city parks. The city is also very vehicle-intensive, so creating such a space now would wreak havoc on an already overstressed street system (I don't have a car/SUV, do have a dog & kids, was born/raised/live here, so before the flames start let me say I TOTALLY advocate congestion pricing, improved mass transit, bike lanes (just keep the damned delivery guys from running everyone down), bike racks, dog runs, Crit Mass, improved safety for peds & bikers, etc.)
Interesting that the variances granted to builders when they provide "public space" (see what we get from Ratner) generally just create fenced uninviting crap (except for that unusual space/restaurant on 1st Ave)
I would love to have a Piazza Navonna (Tre Scalini is far overrated) or Montmartre available.
Guess we have to make do with the Shake Shack (never eaten there, just like the concept.)
Union Square area has already been overdone with the surrounding major chains. But the park (for those of you from here, compare it to the 1960s, 70s) truly has become a multiiple use area. Nice dog run,Greenmarket, open lawn, good space at the SOUTH end for art, expression, gatherings, etc and has historically been such (I suggest the great the great tomes "Gotham" or "The Encyclopedia of New York City")
The North Pavillion area with it's grade and seldom used (restaurant) area flanked by small playgrounds is a waste and could be (hopefully) re-engineered to a better quality space for all, with adaptable space use for multiple purposes.
Hope it's a cool design and pleasing to the senses and adaptable to uses.
I would suggest to those who don't approve of children that I agree the the yuppie/hipster set are frigging annoying. Just like we say, "It's the owners, not the dog", it's the damned parents. I raised my kids to BEHAVE, and be polite and considerate, and always just locked my stroller outside. My kids have accompanied me just about anywhere I've gone since they were babies, and all I've received is compliments.
Please feel free to express yourself to the parents and/or management if others are detracting from the experince that YOU are paying for. I always have.
Have enjoyed having my kids hanging with me all around (Chelsea Brewing Company, Palm, City Crab, MJ Armstrong, Pete's Tavern, Tracy J's Watering Hole, all the South Street joints, Bamiyan, Union Square Cafe, Coney Island, "Crab" in Rome, Piazza Navonna, and multiple places in Rome, Paris, Naples, Ancona, Milan, Mexico,DR, Croatia, etc).
Please place some constructive ideas for the improvement of our (my) neighborhood and the improvement of NYC life in general.
anomalous - You too must have gone to Columbia, for you have also used a false dichotomy. How do you know that I haven't commented on the issue *AND* commented on the grammar? sheeesh, some people.
I would definitely advocate for a playground versus a restaurant.
If people working on the playground are looking for grants or resources to help with the build, KaBOOM! is a nonprofit that i would recommend looking into (www.kaboom.org).