New to the Bryant Park Shop

The perfect accessory for the studio, garden or kitchen... custom embroidered aprons are now available on the Bryant Park Shop.

Bryant Park in the News: Inside the Transformation

As an organization, we take our role as the stewards of Bryant Park quite seriously. Since the restoration of the park twenty years ago, we have continued to upgrade Manhattan's town square. We are dedicated to innovation and enhancing the most detailed aspects around us. The New York Daily News recently covered Bryant Park Corporation and our sister business improvement district, the 34th Street Partnership. The article gives you a peak inside our management strategies that aim to keep Bryant Park at the top.

2008

1984

Inside the transformation of Bryant Park
BY JASON SHEFTELL
New York Daily News
Thursday, February 23rd 2012, 6:58 PM

When flying over New York City in the dark of night, look down. Two areas shine with white light. All others are dull yellow. From the ground, if you look closely, the buildings in these areas seem brighter. People’s faces are lit better. Just blocks apart in midtown Manhattan, the areas share something: Both Bryant Park and the 34th St. retail corridor are managed by groups led by Dan Biederman, a pioneer in neighborhood improvement and the first person to use private funds to better public spaces.

Biederman runs the Bryant Park Corporation, 34th St. Partnership, and Chelsea Improvement Company. His Biederman Redevelopment Ventures helps cities worldwide. Behind the scenes, perhaps no other person has done more for city neighborhoods. One of his biggest mantras — it’s in the little things.

“People don’t know they are judging, but they are,” says Biederman, who started running Bryant Park with a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1980. “They feel how an area is inside, like an emotion. We might make very subtle changes, but when you add them up, they make for incredible improvements that elevate the value of the surrounding property and make the city a better place to live.”

Like white lights.

“Studies show that yellow light is not a crime deterrent,” says Biederman, sitting in his office conference room with direct views onto CitiPond, the sponsored skating rink where citizens and tourists skate for free in the shadow of the New York Public Library. “It makes buildings look worse. It might have cost slightly more, but the white makes a huge difference in the pedestrian experience.”

Biederman is probably the world’s foremost expert on “pedestrian experience” and physically improving a neighborhood. He’s been studying it since the day he took over at Bryant Park. Back then, it was a drug den and bathroom for the homeless. Brooke Astor was offered marijuana on the library steps. Graffiti covered most of the stone. No fountains worked. The great lawn was a dirt patch.

Message On a Chair

With spring in the air, those 4,000 chairs in the park will soon fill up with morning coffee breaks, chattering lunchers, and after work meet-ups. How about putting a special message on one of our iconic green chairs?

Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other special achievements on a chair plaque for Bryant Park visitors to see. Visit the online Bryant Park Shop for more information.

Beneath the Lawn: By the Numbers

A look at a cross-section of the area covered by the Bryant Park lawn yields some impressive stats. First, there’s the lawn itself, which at 280 feet x 180 feet (1.1 acres), is the largest greensward in Manhattan, south of Central Park. Just underneath the lawn are over 4,000 linear feet of drainage pipe, and 2,250 linear feet of irrigation pipes. Still further below are the more than 40 miles of bookshelves that comprise the New York Public Library’s ‘stacks.’

This is an excerpt from Bryant Park's weekly newsletter, MidCity News, written by Terry Benoit. MidCity News keeps park enthusiasts informed about our events, milestones, operations, and all of the detailed maintenance work that goes into caring for the park. Weekly updates are sent with our sister organizations 34th Street Partnership and Chelsea Improvement Company. 

You can view this week's edition of MidCity News online, or sign up to receive it in your inbox. 

The Mardi Gras Party at Le Carrousel

Over 300 people came out to Le Carrousel on Saturday to celebrate Mardi Gras with magician R.J. Lewis, and Dr. Zsa's Powdered Zydeco Band. It was one of our most successful parties ever! Hope all had a wonderful carnival season.

 

Photos by Angelito Jusay

If you missed this one, stay tuned for Le Carrousel Kids, which will return in June with magic shows and visits from Flaubert Frog and Friends.

Last Chance to Skate at Citi Pond

We've been lucky to get some beautiful, sunny weather as we enter the final week of Citi Pond for our 2011-2012 season. We've also been lucky to get some great photos on Twitter as people make their last visits to the Pond for a final winter skate.

If you hadn't had a chance to visit yet this year, make sure to plan a visit this week! Citi Pond will be open through Sunday, February 26th.

@AmberPeri

@HikingHarvey

@JackieFoz1

Fashion Week: Then and Now

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week has grown up a lot since they left our humble grounds. While our resident retail expert Fashion Herald has been covering the Fall 2012 shows for our sister BID, the 34th Street Partnership, we thought we'd take the opportunity to do a little comparison of the tents in the park and at Lincoln Center. Click photos to enlarge.

The Entrance

Check-In

Mercedes Benz Display

The Fountain

Partner Areas

The Lobby

Citi Pond Kids with Sasha Cohen

U.S figure skater and Olympic medalist Sasha Cohen stopped by Citi Pond two weeks ago to spend the morning with kids from the YMCA. She gave a short performance followed by a skating skills clinic especially for the Citi Pond Kids.

The Winning LUV Birds

We teamed up with Southwest Airlines to reunite two geographically challenged LUV couples in honor of Valentine's Day in our Long Distance LUV-ers Contest. We had over 100 worthy pairs enter over the last two weeks. Thank you for sharing your tales of love.

We saw some amazing stories, and LUV birds of all kinds. One girl wanted to reunite with her dog, a few grandmothers wanted to visit their grandchildren, two highschool romances hoped to be rekindled, and several families asked to be reunited with the brave service men and women in their lives. In the end, the voters chose our two lucky couples who will receive one Southwest Airlines ticket per couple. You can read their stories below.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lisa and her New York LUV

I never thought I would do long distance, especially one that started as long distance. I met him, through a friend, two weeks before my summer stay in New York ended. In those two weeks, I asked him to help me complete my NY Bucketlist. We finished all but one: watching a movie at Bryant Park (due to unexpected summer rain). Fast forward 5 months, Southwest offered an amazing $140 roundtrip deal from California to New York. I snagged it quickly excited to finally see him again, but unable to move my midterm date, I had to cancel my tickets. Now we’re at 6 months, with each of us saving enough money to see each other again. Skype, phone calls, and texts can’t replace a real hug or even something simple like sitting on the couch and watching a movie together. Facebookers, can you help me see him again?


Tara and Collin

As a recent college grad and intern at a firm in Omaha, Nebraska, I rarely get to see my New York LUV-er. His name is Collin, and he confessed his undying LUV 3 DAYS BEFORE HE LEFT for grad school IN N.Y.!! Collin and I met @ church camp when we were only sixteen & I had a crush on him right away. Heading to the same college, our friendship continued to flourish. The crazy thing is that Collin and I had our first "real" date in N.Y. - it was at none other than BRYANT PARK that we had our first kiss!! We have pictures of ourselves all over the park, but this one is our favorite! PS. We always fly Southwest... Free Bags! And I don't pack light.

Love & Magic in Bryant Park

From Valentine’s Day to Mardi Gras, it’s an action-packed week in Bryant Park.

Photo by Julie Lance

Monday.  The Citi Pond Winter Film Festival closes tonight with a two showings of Disney’s classic love story, Lady and the Tramp (5:30pm & 7pm).

Tuesday.  Love is in the air – and food – at Celsius.  Treat that special someone to a romantic rinkside dinner under the heat lamps and stars.  Menu and reservations here.

Or get in the mood with a performance by Cary Hoffman from the musical My Sinatra, followed by a lovey-dovey set from DJ Kizzy.  The folks at Citi Pond will sweeten your evening even more with the chance to broadcast your love notes via tweet or DJ shout-out.

Thursday.  Broadway’s Sister Act drops by for live performances and habit-wearing fun.

Friday.  Classic rock takes center stage at the last installment of Citi Pond Music Nights.

Saturday.  Kids can get in the carnival spirit at Le Carrousel’s Mardi Gras Party.  Grab your green, gold, and purple finery and join the procession – complete with masks and live music.


This is an excerpt from Bryant Park's events newsletter, Now in Bryant Park. You can view this week's edition online, or sign up for Bryant Park Events to receive it in your inbox.

Classic Film Reviews: Lady and the Tramp

Snuggle up to your honey for the romantic finale to our Winter Film Festival at Citi Pond, timed perfectly to get you in the mood for love's favorite day. Lady and the Tramp will screen twice this Monday, February 13th - at 5:30pm and 7pm. Book a romantic table with a view at Celsius or take a few spins around the ice with a lover or a friend while you watch. Celsius will be in full romance mode the following evening too with a traditional four course prix fixe menu in celebration of Saint Valentine's Day.

Lady in the Tramp is a beloved Disney tale of two star-crossed dog-lovers. While New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther admits this is not Disney's finest work, the romance and charm are laid on thickly. Perfect for Valentines.

Lady and the Tramp
By Bosley Crowther
June 24, 1955

Walt Disney is back in the feature cartoon business with "Lady and the Tramp," a tale of a female cocker spaniel, which came to the Roxy yesterday.

Skating Record

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you may have noticed that we love numbers. We count the number of people in the park twice a day, the days the lawn is open to the public, and the amount of chairs at any given time in circulation. Given that information, it probably won't come as a surprise that we also keep track of the ice skaters at Citi Pond.

As of February 5, Bryant Park's ice rink had been visited by a record 222,040 skaters. Almost 20,000 more than the numbers we recorded by February 5 last year. We are thrilled to have hosted so many visitors at New York City's only free admission rink!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Celebrate the carnival season with a decadent Mardi Gras party for the kids at Le Carrousel. The festivities planned include a magic show by Carrousel Magique favorite R.J. Lewis, candy coins, warm apple cider, and a parade. Wear your green, gold and purple finery to join the Bryant Park Krewe in a traditional Mardi Gras procession with beads, masks, and music provided by Dr. Zsa’s Powdered Zydeco Band. 

The party's on Saturday, February 18 from 1pm-2pm. While you're at the park, plan to take a few spins on Le Carrousel. One ride is $2, or you can purchase a frequent rider card, good for 10 rides at $15. 

Mardi Gras Party at Le Carrousel 
Saturday, February 18*
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Le Carrousel

*Rain Date: Sunday, February 19

Behind the Fence: Goodbye Fence, Hello Plaza

After finishing touches were completed in our brand new underground power facility, our crews quickly began to restore the site to its original conditions. Walls came down, irrigation lines were returned to original positions, the fence slowly rolled back, and our bluestone pavers were reset to bring back our 40th Street plaza.

Here you can see one of the first views from 40th Street directly to Le Carrousel since Spring 2011 when the construction fence was erected.

Laying pavers is relatively quick work if everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, we encountered some leaking conditions while restoring the plaza, and twice had to halt restoration work to inspect and waterproof the site. Below you can also see the day that our crews rediscovered the stairs to 40th Street - our long lost entrance to the park! The carousel kids will be happy to see this quick access entrance restored.

The black tar-looking substance below is an example of our careful waterproofing around the entrance to the power facility. The vehicles on 40th Street show the final barricades, debris and machinery being hauled off-site... a major achievement for our construction team.

And finally, the area has been reopened to the public. The custom hatch door will lie flush with the existing pavers, and have special hydraulics to open the door on the rare occasion our electrician has to adjust something in the switchgear room. It's being fabricated now, and we expect to install in the early spring. Our horticultural and design teams will also swoop in to make the area look lively and green again.

Come spring... you won't even know what you're sitting above.

For more information on the park's Power Facility Project, see our past blog posts: 

• May 19: Bryant Park Power Project
• July 6: A New Power Grid
• August 4: Camouflage and Excavation
• September 12: Rebar, Shore and Pour
• September 29: The Room and the Vaults
• October 18: Making Connections
• November 30: Finishing Touches

From the Archives: Big Retail Comes and Goes with Stern's

In this post, archivist Anne Kumer shares some park history. This post also appears on NYC Circa, a history blog about New York City, its buildings, and public spaces.

The photo below is one of the earliest I have on file of Bryant Park, and maybe one of the most interesting. It shows West 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, about where the W.R. Grace building is now, and a zillion benches lining paths inside the park. All of those buildings have been razed and replaced, and in many cases, their replacements replaced. It was taken in 1912, one year before the Stern brothers built a large flagship store in about the same place on the block.

Photo: BPC Archive

This postcard, most likely of the park between 1913 and 1917 (after Stern's was built, but before the Eagle Hut and Victory Garden), shows the same stretch of West 42nd Street, a pre-Chrysler building skyline, and offers further evidence of park bench enthusiasm.

 Postcard: Pisark's

The retailer had been growing steadily for several years by the time Stern's built the 42nd Street flagship store. It was founded in 1867 as the Stern Brothers Department Store in Buffalo, New York. Just one year later, the company operated out of a one room store on Sixth Avenue, As the store grew, they eventually moved from the Sixth Avenue location, and built built a six-story Renaissance Revival building on West 23rd Street in 1879. Here it is in 1899:

Image: NYPL Digital

And again in 1905, after a few renovations and additions:

Image: NYPL Digital

The building still stands, but now houses a Home Depot that only seems to stock house paint, potted plants, and light fixtures. (If you need actual tools or hardware, venture to the outer borough locations.) Still, it's a pleasure to shop in because of natural light afforded by the huge windows and open floor plan.

Mattron flickr

In 1913 the company moved from this location to build a new flagship store on West 42nd Street, across from Bryant Park, where it would remain for many years. That building was nine stores tall, with a separate entrance for those wealthy enough to be in the know. The new building was a big enough deal for the Indiana Limestone Company to use it and the neighboring Aeolian building in a 1921 advertisement for their product.

Image: NYPL Digital

As one of the larger department stores in the city, Stern's had a vast inventory of goods. Here are some entertaining bits from the store's directory:

Subway / Basement Level - buying offices, and among other things, something called the Bryant Park Shops
Street Level - impulse buys for women (jewelry, cosmetics) and convenience for men (shoes, suits, etc.), and umbrellas, which have their own department
Street Floor Mezzanine - "surgical aids," cameras
2nd Floor - children's, lingere (These always on the same floor in most large department stores, and usually not too far from linens and bedding -- an entire female existence centered around sex.)
3rd floor -- fashion, fur, leather
4th Floor - domestics - drapes, bedding, and linens
5th Floor - fireplace shop (I know it's relevant for the early 1900s, but in today's context it's hilarious.)

The Department Store Museum has a complete listing, and other useful Stern's info.

By the late 1960s the sales in everything had declined significantly. The flagship store was moved to Bergen Mall in New Jersey, taking with it, West 42nd Street's status as a retail center. The building was sold and torn down to make room for the Grace Building, built by the W.R. Grace Chemical Company, and designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill Architects (SOM).

W.R. Grace Building, January 2012. Photo: A. Kumer

Construction started on the Grace building in 1971, and was completed in 1974. It is one of two buildings in the city to have a sloped facade. The other, also designed by Bunshaft is the Solow building. The design of the Grace building is rumored to come from the rejected sketches of the Solow building facade.

Though retail still exists on the ground floor of most of the buildings on this block, I doubt any have a fireplace department.

Other Sources:
Wikipedia
Emporius
To read more about The Stern Brothers' former locations, click here.

Classic Film Reviews: Edward Scissorhands

See Tim Burton's off-beat fairy tale tonight at Citi Pond at Bryant Park for the third installment in our Winter Film Festival. New York Times critic Janet Maslin noted the high and low points of the film in her original 1990 review, paying homage to Mr. Burton's vast imagination and far reaching attempts to create a dark, surreal wonderland.

Edward Scissorhands
By Janet Maslin
December 7, 1990

At the far end of a suburban enclave, where the houses huddle together like a candy-colored wagon train, there stands a monument to lonely genius. Atop a forbidding gray mountain, in yet another of the strange and ingenious outposts that the heroes of Tim Burton's films ("Batman," "Beetlejuice," "Pee-wee's Big Adventure") call home, Edward Scissorhands lives in isolation. He uses his extraordinary gifts to create magical artworks that, he imagines, no one will ever see.

Edward has apparently hidden here for a long time, with nary a trip to the grocery store. But one day, as seems perfectly reasonable in the ripe, fanciful pop universe in which "Edward Scissorhands" unfolds, a thoughtful Avon lady (Dianne Wiest) pays a visit. Seeing Edward, she immediately grasps that he has a problem and sweetly imagines that it can be solved with kindness, not to mention the makeup base of exactly the right hue. So the Avon lady brings the outcast back to her home, where he amazes the neighbors with his rare feats of snippery. He's a wizard when it comes to poodles.

News from the MidCity: New Neighbors for 2012

Hines, Oscar, Tourondel, Seamless, Petite Abeille all to join our blocks in 2012.

The New York Observer

As we approach the twentieth anniversary of the reopening of Bryant Park, it’s a bit breathtaking to consider the transformation of the neighborhood surrounding the park. Real estate values have soared, office occupancy is up, and street-level businesses and restaurants are thriving. In the past decade, we’ve seen major architectural projects that have upgraded the park’s surroundings, including the recladding of 1095 Sixth Avenue (the MetLife Building) and the construction of the instantly-iconic Bank of America Tower at 1 Bryant Park. We’ve also learned of plans by Houston developer Hines to build an office tower on the SW corner of 40th Street and Sixth Avenue that will be named 7 Bryant Park. Moving into 2012, we’re poised for more improvements, a prestigious new tenant, and some exciting new dining choices.

According to Steve Cuozzo, real estate reporter for the NY Post, plans are afoot for a long-awaited upgrade of the southern side of 42nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. These include a re-fitting of the old Knickerbocker Hotel at Broadway, building a new 37-story hotel at 136 W. 42nd Street, and replacing the low-rise buildings just west of the MetLife Building with a retail glass box that will extend to 41st Street. These projects will make nearly complete the decade-long transformation of the stretch of 42nd Street between Bryant Park and Times Square from one of the most rundown blocks in the city to one befitting its revitalized bookends.

Meanwhile, City Biz Real Estate reports that fashion giant Oscar de la Renta will soon relocate its NYC offices from Seventh Avenue to 11 W. 42 Street, just across from Bryant Park. The company will occupy 37,000 sq. ft. on the 25th floor of the historic edifice, once known as the Salmon Building. The offices will include a 4,800 sq. ft. design showroom and full-scale runways for shows.  

Foodies, read on. Two acclaimed restaurateurs are poised to occupy spaces just across 40th Street from the park. Last October, Grub Street noted that Laurent Tourondel, co-founder of BLT Steak, will open the first NYC-based LT Burger at 8 West 40th Street. The new spot will offer high-quality burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Moving west on 40th Street, the French-language website French Morning NY reports that Petite Abeille, a successful Belgian restaurant with four locations downtown, will take over three floors at 54 W, 40th Street. Besides a restaurant and bar serving up burgers and Belgian specialties such as moules frites, waffles and ales, there will also be a chocolate tasting room, an event space, and perhaps even a “Tintin Café.”

And our friends at DNA Info filed this report about Seamless, a website offering one-stop online food ordering for hungry New Yorkers. The company, which just opened a new office at 1065 Sixth Avenue – the same building in which our offices are located - features menus from over 3,000 restaurants offering takeout and delivery. Just place your order and Seamless does the rest. Mayor Bloomberg helped the company launch its new location by ordering popcorn and chicken soup.

All of this speaks volumes about the confidence that property owners, business owners and restaurateurs have in the future of our neighborhood.

This is an excerpt from Bryant Park's weekly newsletter, MidCity News, written by Terry Benoit. MidCity News keeps park enthusiasts informed about our events, milestones, operations, and all of the detailed maintenance work that goes into caring for the park. Weekly updates are sent with our sister organizations 34th Street Partnership and Chelsea Improvement Company. 

You can view this week's edition of MidCity News online, or sign up to receive it in your inbox. 

Football in Bryant Park

Last summer we turned midtown's most famous patch of grass into a football field complete with yard lines, bleachers, fans, famous players, cheerleaders, end zones, scoreboards... you name it. As the excitement builds towards football's main event this Sunday, we take a behind the scenes look at the Madden NFL 12 Pigskin Pro-Am that was filmed in Bryant Park on July 27, 2011.

To celebrate the release of the Madden NFL game, EA Sports invited NFL legends to join forces with some very brave celebrities for a flag football game on the lawn. Each team was made up of both pros and celebs, with Dan Marino as the captain of the Gamers in red and Kurt Warner leading the Famers in blue. The Famers got off to an early lead, but the Gamers came back strong to win the game with a few key interceptions by Deion Sanders, who was chosen as the MVP.

A few of the pre-game television spots even featured Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison trying out some of our park amenities like Ping Pong and Le Carrousel.

Click through for actions shots, cheerleaders, legends, and victory dances.