Chains Down

The chains are down in front of several 'lawn' spots at City Hall Park this Summer. I think they are encouraging people to enjoy the lawns,, but I really never see people on them. We are so used to not having access to them, I think it's a pavlovian thing.

People with AIDS Plaza

I'm walking along Broadway next to City Hall Park and I was looking up at some architectural details of another building when I noticed this street sign that said "People with AIDS Plaza". I'm on the sidewalk,, there is no plaza... as I walked around the park there were a few other oddly named street signs hanging from the cool street lamps. There is the Steve Flanders Square and Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cody Stanton Corner. On the other side of City Hall Park on Park Row there is another sign that reads "People with AIDS Plaza", the two have no connection that I can figure out. I'm not sure if there are two Plazas or if there is something in between within the park. I couldn't find any plaque or stone or planting within the Park.

After a search on the web and on the nyc.gov website, I found no reference. People have written about this sign,, but there is nothing official I could find as to its origin. This will be a mystery.

Art Tribeca - Hot Pink in the Summertime

This Summer's art "Statuesque" at City Hall Park really punched up the colors. Hot pink and lime green. Best enjoyed with ice cream! Great bright cheery colors and animal shapes right alongside and in contrast to some blobby "anyone could do that" sculptures (I'm just jealous), and thrown in are some 'big foots'. Six artists in all from various countries.

City Hall Park pops a Boner

Several months ago a building started going up on the other side of City Hall Park. It just kept going up and up and up until finally, being so out of proportion to all the surrounding neighborhood, I decided to find out what it was. So, I Googled "Big tall building, City Hall Park" and got introduced to The Beekman.

Now how something so 'out of place' got put in the middle of these tiny streets and short buildings is odd. 77 stories of luxury apartments, a school (now that's forward thinking), and part of the NY Downtown Hospital.

Flat on one side,, and 'swirvy' on the other three, the building is silver. Like silver painted cars, that always look dirty to me, the Beekman, with more than half the facade almost up, is completely muddy, dirty,,, from the air, rain, pollution. I only hope they give it a good 'car wash' before opening day.

Last Picnic Lunch

Today is the last day of a string of nice beautiful September days here in NYC. The end of Summer is just a week away. A cold front will be moving in this evening for the next several days. With this in mind, I picked up my lunch at the Halal stand outside our building on Duane St. near Broadway and headed down to City Hall Park. There are a few dozen cafe tables are set up on the east side of the park facing the onramp to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a nice time until the French couple sitting to the left of me lit up and shared a cigarette. I was downwind ...off to Chinatown for some veggie shopping..

Art Tribeca - ...in the eye of the beholder

Artist: Robert Melee
December 19, 2008 to April 2009
City Hall Park, Manhattan

From the NYC Parks and Recreation website: The current exhibit by Robert Melee features immense forms that while amorphous and featureless, seem familiar in their generalized characteristics and poses–slouching, sitting, pointing, standing upright–but also retain a haunting sense of disguise and alluring somberness. more...

From City Hall News: The four hulking, amorphous sculptures that showed up in City Hall Park last December are not part of some effort by art-loving Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Ind.) to unload some of his collection to raise money for his re-election bid, but the latest installment from the Public Art Fund, scheduled to be in place through April. more...

From the Public Art Fund website: Through April 2009, Public Art Fund will present an exhibition of four large-scale figurative sculptures by New York-based artist Robert Melee at City Hall Park. Since 1978, Public Art Fund has presented 19 temporary exhibitions at this lower Manhattan location, including the work of Alexander Calder, Julian Opie and Roy Lichtenstein. more...

From Me: OK, so maybe I'm just jealous because my art isn't featured in City Hall Park (yet:-). Is it me or does this remind anyone else of wicker-wrapped Chianti wine bottles with lots of candle drippings alongside a plate of spaghetti? Putting these hulking, amorphous sculptures on large red checkered tablecloths would have set the picture "just right" for me.