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December 13, 2005
Bryant Park: Park or Event Space?
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As skaters twirl around "The Pond," Bryant Park's temporary skating rink, which is surrounded by a holiday market featuring an unimaginable number of tchotchkes and restaurants, garden lovers have to wonder, has Bryant Park finally crossed the line between park and event space? The Community Board certainly seems to think so (see The New York Times December 5, 2005). Local residents are complaining about the increasing number of corporate events in the park. As garden lovers, we at Citygardenguide are saddened by the fact that having a handsome, historically significant, highly acclaimed garden/park right in the middle of the busiest part of Manhattan is not in itself enough to guarantee the funds needed to maintain it.
Bryant Park is the only public park in the city that receives no public money. The Bryant Park Restoration Corporation must generate the considerable sum needed for its upkeep. BPRC measures its success by how many people use the park; there are many--20,000 a day in warm months. But it is also a victim of this success. The more users, the more upkeep, the more costly the whole undertaking becomes. Hence the need for corporate sponsorship for the big public events like the summer movie series, and the practice of renting out the park for private events like Fashion Week.
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Let's face it, Bryant Park has become a "venue," an attractive open space that is programmed with a variety of activities chosen to appeal to a wide public. There are countless events and programs throughout the year: right now you can take skating lessons, skate with the Rangers on Wednesdays, and, of course, shop. To sustain itself, Bryant Park needs people, and the "Pond" is a brilliant way to attract visitors in what would otherwise be a dead season for an outdoor " venue." It's the only free skating rink in Manhattan, and there's nothing like watching skaters to make you feel that winter's not so bad after all. The corporation does a pretty good job finding community-enriching activities and getting corporate sponsorship. It's a balancing act--and if they sometimes err on the side of the commercial (the Fetes de Noel Holiday Market in our view is erring quite considerably) the Park has become an important city gathering spot.
As a community, with rare exceptions, we don't adequately sustain passive recreational spaces. Even when we do support them, it is with private funds. Just think of the number of conservancies set up to preserve and protect our larger parks. Either we are willing to pay for a commercial-free. pristine Bryant Park, or we put up with " programming" and corporate logos. Bryant Park is a great public amenity--but it is no longer a garden oasis.
LinksBryant Park Restoration Corporation
Posted by gardenguidenyc at December 13, 2005 03:03 PM