Filling in City Holes with Legos from Gothamist
Artist Jan Vormann patches up the city, including a crack in the side of Bryant Park’s restroom, with colorful blocks
Bryant Park in Motion from the MTA
The subway station at 42nd St and 6th Ave hosts viewer-activated digital art during the month of March, inspired by the park and its amenities
On our radar
Surface Improvements from the Wall Street Journal
The city launches a design competition to beautify the permanent Times Square pedestrian plazas on Broadway
Scenes from Bryant Park
Purple pansies line the 40th Street Allee, awaiting transfer to larger planters throughout the park
17 hours ago
Shop Bryant Park guest posts are written by Fashion Herald, resident retail blogger for Bryant Park Corporation’s sister company, the 34th Street Partnership.
What’s every girl’s ideal harbinger of spring? A pop-up store awash in color and flowery print dresses, of course. But don’t wait for the tulips to bloom to enjoy this Liberty of London pop-up store for Target, because here’s how the store looked last night right before closing time:
I asked about restocking, and the clerks told me all the merchandise was out on the floor last night. But this morning all the shelves were full again: relief. I saw lots of sundresses, some of the longer dresses, lots of kids, tons of rainboots, and a couple boxes of men’s boxers. No shirtdresses, and, as far as I could tell, no shirts. You can still pick up some of the housewares, including the white piggy bank and some plates.
And perhaps you’d like to make a grand exit from this fun pop-up store on one of these ($199.99 for adult bike, $169.99 for kid’s):
Update: Pop-up has closed up shop early! Sign on the door says “sold out.” Plan on stalking the collection online very early Sunday morning.
Liberty of London for Target Pop-Up, 1095 Sixth Avenue at 42nd St, NW corner of Bryant Park
Open 9am-8pm through March 13th
Launching in three days online
1 day ago
On a bench nestled in Bryant Park’s gardens bordering the south side of the lawn, is a plaque reading “Nick Ashford Slept Here”. Purchased by his wife in 1996, the plaque symbolizes Nick Ashford’s incredible rags to riches story.
Before becoming one half of Ashford & Simpson, a dynamic songwriting, producing, and performing duo, Ashford was just another New York City transplant with his sights set on the music business. He struggled to make it without income or a place to live. In the early 1960’s Ashford began spending his nights in Bryant Park, a well known haven for drug dealers and derelicts at the time.
Hoping to find a free meal at White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem, Ashford met Valerie Simpson who was singing with the church’s choir. The pair began writing songs and singing together, and in 1974 they were married.
The couple’s collaborative career spans the genres of Motown, R&B, and Pop-Soul. In addition to recording multiple gold records of their own, Ashford & Simpson penned hit songs like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “You’re All I Need To Get By”, and “I’m Every Woman” for legends like Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight. A radio show, television appearances, and memorable live performances at venues across the globe are also on the duo’s long list of achievements.
Simpson bought the plaque as a gift for Ashford on his 53rd birthday, as a reminder of their remarkable journey together and a donation to help beautify the park he had once called home.
Read the story behind the Bryant Park Benchmarks Campaign here
2 days ago
Here’s a sneak peak at Earth From Above, the exciting outdoor photography exhibit coming to Bryant Park in just four weeks.
115 large scale aerial images by renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand will be on display in Bryant Park, accompanied by educational information on important environmental and social issues we face today.
Earth From Above has already visited 120 cities worldwide including London, Tokyo, Beirut, and Sydney. Don’t miss the Bryant Park exhibit, which is the kick off of Earth From Above’s first United States tour.
Earth From Above
A public art exhibit
April 2 – May 28, 2010
Bryant Park
Photos from pictureearth.org
4 days ago
Look out for these signs of spring over the next few weeks in Bryant Park:
Daffodils poking their yellow heads through the gardens…
…people lingering in the park a little longer during lunch breaks…
…and a green lawn establishing roots at the center of the park.
We are currently leveling the soil in the lawn area to prepare for sod installation. In approximately two weeks over 5,000 sod rolls will arrive from Long Island, ready to take center stage as the Bryant Park lawn!
1 week ago
In 1995 (the days when Bryant Park Corporation was the “Bryant Park Restoration Corporation”), we launched a creative program to help raise funds for continued improvements on the park. If you’ve ever noticed the engraved bronze plaques adorning our wood and cement benches throughout the park, then you’ve seen the products of the Benchmarks Campaign.
The program allowed patrons to leave a permanent mark on their favorite midtown spot, in exchange for a contribution to the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation. Along with an engraved plaque, Benchmarks Campaign members received an artistic print of “their” bench and a card granting them access to the park after closing hours to enjoy sole custody of the bench.
The following excerpt from the campaign brochure explains the motivating factors for becoming a Benchmarks member.
“By joining the Benchmarks Campaign, your donation triples in value: it pays tribute to the person or group whose name is engraved, it contributes to the vitality of Bryant Park, and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have played an important role in the most dramatic urban renaissance project of the greatest city on earth.”
So why did we discontinue the Benchmarks Campaign? The simple answer is, we ran out of benches! A total of 37 plaques were purchased by figures in the New York City business world, celebrities of music and television, and people who just plain love the park.
There are interesting people and stories behind many of the bench plaques (a Beatle’s wife, a mystery writer and his readers, and a New York City survival story, to name a few). Stay tuned to the blog for more.
1 week ago
The recent snowfall showed us how beautiful the park looks under a blanket of fresh white snow. The Bryant Park of the past was no different…
Bryant Park, 1897
From ‘Reservoir Square’ to ‘Bryant Park’, this photo was taken from 42nd Street facing southeast, around the time of the New York Public Library construction. The statue you see is no longer in the park.
Bryant Park, 1939
Against a vastly different skyline than today, this photo faces west from behind the New York Public Library. You can see the London Plane trees as saplings and the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain on the Sixth Avenue side of the park.
Read more about the park’s history and monuments at bryantpark.org.
1 week ago
A count of people in Bryant Park is taken twice daily, at lunchtime and in the evening, rain or shine.
Inspired by the public space principles of urbanist William “Holly” Whyte, we believe that a successful space must be attractive and appealing to women, as they tend to be more discerning patrons and less likely to spend time in dirty or unsafe places.
Comparing counts of male and female park users is one way we keep track of our progress in managing and maintaining Bryant Park. The ratio of men to women is usually close to 50/50. However, we are constantly improving our programming, sanitation services, and design elements in order to attain slightly higher numbers of women every day, which demonstrates another Holly Whyte principle: “You are never finished.”
“Girl-Counter” is a great article from the New Yorker (September 2007) that explains our theories behind people counting and introduces one of the park’s expert counters.
2 weeks ago
