Union Square Park

Restaurateur Danny Meyer gets a lot of credit for spearheading the retail renaissance around Union Square Park.

Opening his perennially popular Union Square Cafe in 1985 helped set off a seismic shift in real estate surrounding the notoriously nicknamed “Needle Park.” The area once overrun with junkies is now infested with foodies, who can easily score a quick fix at any one of the many top-rated eateries, including six operated by Mr. Meyer, within a five-minute walk of the park.  read more »

Several weeks ago we spied representatives from Ben & Jerry's, the hippie-dippy ice-cream company, taking notes and plans for the Daryl Roth Theatre on Union Square Park. They told us a Ben & Jerry's was opening, but the theater people treated our inquiries aas if we were insane.

Well, who's insane now? As evidenced from the photo, Ben & Jerry's has indeed converted the theater, albeit only temporarily, into an ice-cream house of worship. According to a Ben & Jerry's press release, from tomorrow through Aug. 27, "Guests can enjoy complimentary milkshakes while experiencing a total sensory immersion within each of the different flavors."

The Cherry Garcia Lounge allows guests to relax in a funky setting featuring hip furniture, shag-covered walls, lava lamps and a masseuse offering chair massages. The neighboring Chunky Monkey Oasis whisks visitors out of New York City's summer heat to the tropics with rope swings, banana trees and driftwood benches. A few steps away, guests find themselves enveloped in the Chocolate Fudge Brownie Zone, a chocolate-lover's paradise, featuring plush furniture in decadent fabrics to beckon weary travelers. Sweet sights and smells complete the chocolate wonderland and the indulgent Ben & Jerry's MilkShake Experience before visitors head back into the real, unfortunately less chocolate-filled world.

We're still waiting for an apology from the Daryl Roth Theatre management. Our e-mail is to the right.  read more »

-Matthew Grace

State Assembly member Sylvia Friedman, speaking before Community Board 6 last night, said that she would fight any attempt by the Parks Department to open a cafe in Stuyvesant Square, between 15th and 17th streets on Second Avenue.

Ms. Friedman has unique power to stop the Parks Department in its plans, as the Assembly must approve any alienation of parkland for private uses, and the Assembly member in whose district the park sits gets final approval. (Alienation is the first step in order to lease out public parkland.)

The Parks Department prefers to refer to its agreements with private venders as "concessions," rather than "leases." According to Ms. Friedman, this is a dodge resulting in unchecked privatization of public space. She noted that the "concession" in Union Square Park--Luna Park--has operated for nine years.

"We will never give up an inch of Community Board 6's park space," she told the assembled board. Later, she told The Real Estate that she is prepared to go to court to stop the new restaurant planned for Union Square Park when the northern quadrant is finally renovated.

Community Board 6 has been tusslng with the Parks Department recently over Stuyvesant Square. Currently, Parks has issued a R.F.P. for a cafe in the park.

-Matthew Grace

Park rangers replaced rabid anti-war protesters this morning at an unusually muted Union Square Park, where Mayor Bloomberg came to kick off what is apparently garden week in New York City. After being assisted by an aide in the rolling up of his sleeves, the Mayor helped some kids dressed up like bees plant flowers. "Am I violating any union law by doing this?" the Mayor asked.

It turns out the Mayor's thumb is green, and not just from handling all those greenbacks.

He spoke about the "long history of farmers in the family" and remembered fondly the vegetable garden he took care of as a child, growing "rhubarb, carrots, squash, corn - I don't remember it working."

And for all those wondering why the city has climbed to 11th place in the rankings of worst cities for allergy sufferers, blame it on the flowers.

"New York City is blooming with more flowers than at any time in our history," said the mayor in a statement.

-Jason Horowitz

Last night, Community Board 5 overwhelmingly approved the Parks Department's redesign for the northern end of Union Square Park. The redesign will triple the size of the current playground--adding a "Tot Lot" for the wee buggers, a "Toy Box" for ambulatory children and "the Mountain" for older kids (and Observer staffers hiding from editors).

The area where the greenmarket currently is will be even greener: Trees will be planted around the northern gateway plaza, and it will be resurfaced and an electrical and plumbing infrastruture will be constructed to provide services to the greenmarket venders.  read more »

On Wednesday, July 27, Community Board 4 put the kibosh on fashion trade-show production company ENK  read more »

Down in Washington, Democrats' talking points on the Roberts nomination are all about process and judiciousness.

"Now that we have a nominee, the Senate has a duty to collect all the facts about his judicial philosophy and carefully consider his candidacy for the nation's highest court," Chuck Schumer wrote in a soporific email this morning.  read more »

Around here, however, they didn't get the memo. State Senator Eric Schneiderman just sent out an email asking supports to "Please join me today for a rally in Union Square Park with pro-choice groups united in opposition to George Bush's selection of John Roberts."

The rally, led by NARAL Pro-Choice New York and Planned Parenthood of New York City, starts at 5:00.

Still Grieving, Group Seeks Ongoing Memorial in Park Two months after Mayor Giuliani told New Yorker  read more »

Nothing ever repeats itself twice; that is both the joy oflife, and the sickness of woe.  read more »

The Wall and I go back a while now; the relationship datesfrom early March, and in New York terms it  read more »