Our New Birdbath

The park has a new amenity in the begonia flower bed near the bathroom. But it's not for humans. It's for the birds.

The park is home to a variety of bird species between the ever present pigeons, our Meet the Birds sessions, and migratory stopovers. In fact, birds may be the second most numerous visitor to the park after people. Our new birdbath is in an effort to better serve the migrating birds and encourage a larger population. Curious about the birds spotted in the park? Follow our discoveries from the weekly NYC Audubon Society led Birding Tours.

World Tai Chi Day

Each year, we kick off our season of biweekly Tai Chi classes with World Tai Chi Day. The annual event, celebrated throughout the world, promotes the medicinal benefits of this ancient Chinese martial art. We are lucky to host Master C.K. Chu of the Tai Chi Chuan Center for a continuous demonstration of this global holiday on the last Saturday of April. Stop by tomorrow to practice en masse, or return every Tuesday and Thursday for our morning sessions at 7:30am on the Fountain Terrace.

Parlez vous Français? Español? Nippon? Italiano?

Everybody's talking...

... about Bryant Park's new series of free language classes. This summer, we've partnered with inlingua to offer beginner lessons in French, Spanish, Japanese and Italian, as well as intermediate lessons in French and Spanish.

Each month will offer one beginner lesson in each of the four languages on a rotating Monday schedule. Intermediate lessons will alternate each Wednesday between Spanish and French.

Keep in mind that though there are four sessions of each beginner language class, the beginner classes are geared towards true newbies, and each beginner class of a particular language will have the exact same structure and lesson.

Intermediate classes are meant to be more conversational with different themes. New vocabulary will be covered each week, and the outcomes will be different for the intermediate students because of their varying capabilities.

Sign up now and get ready to parlez, hablar, Hanasu koto, or parlare this summer with inlingua in the park. 

Tenth Annual Poem in Your Pocket Day

Hundreds of eager kids will gather in Bryant Park on Thursday for an open mic event to celebrate poetry on the tenth annual Poem in Your Pocket Day.

Could you do it? Stand on a stage in front of not only your peers and teachers, but also the general public of New York City and share your own creative writing? Each year proves to be a truly amazing display of young creativity and bravado. In addition to student-poets, the Bryant Park Reading Room sponsored by HSBC will also host a slew of special guests on Thursday including NYC Youth Poet Laureate Ishmael Islam, and published guest poet Mahogany Browne. Music will be provided by Aurora Barnes and DJ Flip Bundles. Attendees will also receive a free book of poetry, while supplies last.

So get those poems ready... Thursday is all about sharing your favorite poetry.

Want to join in the fun virtually? Why not share a stanza with us on Twitter. Tweet us @BryantParkNYC #PIYP.

Let there be Lawn!

We opened the lawn Friday to glorious sunny weather with a live concert from Swear and Shake. The jugglers were out, and the school groups couldn't get enough of the grassy space to roam. If you missed it, don't worry. We've got all spring and summer to enjoy Midtown's favorite patch of green.

Photos by Sarah Xu

42 New Reasons to Love the Park

Plug it in, plug it in!

The park was recently outfitted with 42 new electrical outlets for your added convenience. Just locate one of these handy green posts, flip up the lid, and plug in. Help yourself to free power, but remember, the outlets are intended for phones, tablets and computers only. And technically there is a one hour time limit! We're happy to bring you more reasons to stay in the park longer.

20th Anniversary: 1934 Bryant Park Renovation and Robert Moses

Prior to 1992, the most dramatic renovation to Bryant Park happened in 1934. On January 1 of that year, the park was a much-lamented eyesore, due to a lack of money and leadership, and the legacy of a failed exhibition featuring a replica of Federal Hall. There was also, however, a tremendous amount of energy being expended by persons wanting to save the park. One such effort occurred in late 1933, when the Architects Emergency Committee, formed to provide relief for unemployed architects, held a contest calling for plans to renovate the park. That contest was won by Queens architect Lusby Simpson, and all 40 entries were displayed at the Ziegfeld Theater in November, 1933. That victory netted Mr. Simpson $100 and not much else, as the contest was private and merely added to the plethora of possible plans for the park. This photo shows Mr. Simpson surveying work on the park from the western edge.

Park Reconstruction. View south on 6th Avenue from 42nd Street 1934 (Photo: NYC Parks Department)

The real change came in 1933 with the election of the reform-minded Fiorello LaGuardia as Mayor of NYC. LaGuardia knew that the prevailing situation, wherein the city’s parks were directly administered by borough Presidents who often had no expertise in the field, was inadequate. LaGuardia proposed that all of the city’s parks be administered by one true Parks Commissioner, and nominated Robert Moses for the post, who already chaired the New York State Park Council, was President of the Long Island State Park Commission. State lawmakers didn’t want Moses to hold all those positions, but after some intense lobbying in Albany, the appointment came through and Moses wasted no time.

1934 Opening Dedication with Commissioner Moses (Photo: NYC Parks Department)

Using Simpson’s plan as a basis, Moses directed an incredibly quick refashioning of Bryant Park in 1934. The park was raised four feet from the street, a broad lawn was installed, and the entire park was surrounded by a granite wall topped by a wrought-iron fence. The Lowell Fountain (picture taken at the opening dedication ceremony on September 14, 1934) was moved from the shadow of the library to its current position on the west end of the park, and 270 London Plane trees were planted. Though the effect was lavish, the renovation cost was relatively modest, as workers from the New Deal-era Civil Works Administration were employed. In little over six months, the park was transformed from a waste heap to an attractive accompaniment to the Beaux Arts magnificence of the New York Public Library.

Praise was generally lavish, but not everyone was thrilled. Lewis Mumford, longtime architecture critic for The New Yorker, famously dissented. After perfunctorily admitting that anything was better than the previous situation, his objections centered on the fact that the east-west orientation led to a spectacular vista of…the Sixth Avenue El train. That structure had plagued the park since the 1880’s and was finally torn down in the late 1930’s. That was good news for the park, but unfortunately, that demolition, coupled with the construction of the Sixth Avenue subway, dominated the park for years. This photo of the El being torn down gives a good idea of just how unsightly it was.  

Dismantling the IND 6th Avenue Line 1939 (Photo: NYPL)

There were other problems with the design, not immediately apparent. As discussed here before, the elevation of the park removed it from the ebb and flow of pedestrian traffic (check out this photo to see the effect the elevation wrought). Also, the stone walls, the relatively few entrances, and tall hedges inside the park exacerbated an urban problem that Moses and Simpson could not have anticipated: the open selling of illegal drugs.

Whatever the defects, the 1934 rehabilitation of Bryant Park established some important precedents. First, the need for a breathing space in midtown-Manhattan was widely acknowledged; second, business and building owners in the area made it clear that they believed a thriving park was essential for the success of the entire neighborhood; and third, the changes that strong leadership could bring to bear on a seemingly forlorn cause was made apparent.

For more information on the park's transformation, read posts from our 20th Anniversary Series: 

• March 20: Bryant Park from 1992 to Today
• March 26: Bryant Park Before BPC
• April 4: The Tide Turns in 1980
• April 10: Bryant Park in the 1930's 

This is an excerpt from a series of articles on the transformation of Bryant Park from our 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 most recent edition of MidCity News online, or sign up to receive it in your inbox. 

A Lost and Found Success Story

Our security team's primary responsibility is to maintain safety and order in the park. However, crime and misbehavior are so low that they often have time to serve as ambassadors, providing information or directions, and preventing theft by keeping an eye on the possessions of our park patrons. Bryant Park security officers take great pride in their ability to spot items people inadvertently leave behind during park visits, and to return these items safely to their owners. We are lucky to receive a few letters like this each year:

"I left a messenger bag in the park after my lunch break today, and I had a fantastic experience with your lost & found operation. The bag was very quickly picked up by one of your security officers, Moses, who found my phone inside and called a couple of contacts so they'd tell me to retrieve it. So I learned it was missing well before I would have figured it out on my own. I called the park office & was very efficiently told how to go retrieve it. When I got back to the park, Moses knew who I was before I introduced myself, and very pleasantly took me to retrieve the bag.

I'm amazed at how easy this was, and how excellent the whole experience was. So, thank you for running such an efficient operation, and thank you to security officer Moses for going above & beyond with his careful, professional, friendly work in helping me out today. Incidentally, I started working on 5th Avenue last year, and I can't imagine midtown without summer lunches in the park and the winter ice skating. So I am a big fan of the park in general."

For more information on park security, read up on the Broken Windows Theory. If you think you lost an item in the park, please call us. We'd be happy to check for it!

Fly Fishing on the Terrace

Image Source

Just as we fill the park with chairs and tables for relaxation and passive enjoyment of the space, we also try to fill the days with ways to actively use the park. We've got ping pong and petanque, fencing and yoga, to name just a few. And new for this year, Orvis is bringing you free Fly Fishing instruction, coming to the 5th Avenue Terrace at the end of the month.

This trusted sporting outfitter has a store just up 5th Avenue from the park, and they thought our shady terrace would be the perfect place to demo fly casting and outfit rigging for the adventurous city dwellers. Classes are first come, first served, and reservations are recommended at (212) 827-0698. There will be nine classes from April - June, so be sure to check out our calendar for all the details.

Happy Fishing!

Bryant Park Fly Fishing

Saturdays, 10am - 12pm
April 21 &* 28
May 5, 12 & 26
June 2, 16, 23 & 30
Fifth Avenue Terrace at 41st Street


*Update: The start date for fly fishing classes has been postponed. There will be no class on April 21.


Orvis
522 5th Avenue at 44th Street

From the Archives: Their Last Voyage

In this post, BPC's archivist Anne Kumer shares some history.

One hundred years ago the Titanic sank, taking with it over 1,500 passengers and crew members. One of three ships operated by the White Star Line, she was said to be unsinkable, and the largest existing passenger ship.

The RMS Titanic embarks on its maiden voyage from Southhampton, England to New York City, USA, on April 10, 1012. Photo: National Geographic

Two of the passengers were John Jacob Astor IV and his pregnant wife Madeleine Talmadge Force . . . Astor. Their marriage created a scandal in the States, partially because of their age difference. He was 47 and she was 18, just a year older than his first born son from a previous marriage, Vincent Astor (pictured here). While waiting for the scandal to die down the newlyweds embarked on an extended honeymoon. The final leg of the journey was the Titanic voyage from Southhampton England to New York City.

Astor's first son from a previous marriage, Vincent Astor, married socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor, who was known for her support of the NYPL and Bryant Park's restoration.

Mr. and Mrs. Astor shortly after their marriage in 1911

Mrs. Astor was one of the few lucky passengers to survive when the ship went down on April 15, 1912. Largely because of the policy dictating that women and children be given preference to the lifeboats, Mr. Astor did not survive. Read more about the Titanic, and two more of its passengers, Mr. Isidor Straus (then co-owner of Macy's department store) and his wife Ida, on our sister blog Fashion Herald.

A Field Guide Study

At Monday's inaugural Birding Tour for the 2012 season, we were very lucky to not only spot both a Field Sparrow and a Chipping Sparrow, but we heard both singing, a true rarity in the city. The coincidence is even more fortuitous as these two sparrows are very similar in appearance and make an excellent field guide comparison for novice and intermediate birders. We, of course, looked to our expert guide from the NYC Audubon Society Gabriel Willow for notes on telling the two apart. 

Field Sparrow
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

Chipping Sparrow
Photo by Tripp Davenport

Here's what he had to say:

Field Sparrows are browner, with pink beaks and a plain gray face with a white eye-ring, giving them a wide-eyed, innocent expression. Their song is a beautiful whistled "bouncing ball" series of accelerating descending notes. Chipping Sparrows have a black bill, a dark line through the eye making them look a bit "squinty", and a brighter rusty cap. They are grayer overall; Field Sparrows are often a warm pinkish-brown tone (but can be gray too). The Chipping Sparrow song is really different: it's a steady trill, all on one note/pitch. Otherwise these guys are pretty similar in size, shape, and habits: they're closely related.

NFL Pop-Up: For the Ladies

Last week Fashion Herald gave you a sneak peek of the NFL Shop at Draft Pop-Up Shop across 6th Avenue from the park. Inside, she found fan gear galore for all the teams in the league, including New York's own Jets and Giants. (Don't mind her bias for Jets apparel.)

This week she gives you the scoop on the NFL Shop at Draft's ladies night event taking place tomorrow to highlight their special NFL Ladies Boutique. Click through for the full rundown on NFL player appearances, free manicures and massages, and special edition team purses and boots.



Ladies night is tomorrow from 5pm-7pm at the NFL Shop at Draft Pop-Up. (Details)


NFL Shop at Draft Pop-Up
1095 Avenue of the Americas, between 41st and 42nd Streets on Sixth Avenue

The Sand Cherry

With a common name like sand cherry, the Prunus Cistena doesn't sound particularly lovely. But once a year in early spring, the purplish-red shrub blooms with white flowers. These buds are an early spring highlight in our perennial gardens to the north and south of the lawn.

After the blooms go away, the purple foliage provides a colorful anchor in the gardens, and acts as a vibrant foil to the deep green shrubs and trees that form a backdrop in our lawn's borders.

Instagram user pflugerc also caught the Prunus Cistena in bloom above our delicate tulips last week.

20th Anniversary: Bryant Park in the 1930’s

Long before the founding of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation in 1980, there was another major effort to reclaim the park for the people of New York City. The 1934 renovation of Bryant Park followed two of the most dramatic years in the park’s history. In 1932, Bryant Park’s fortunes were at low ebb, for many reasons. The park laid in the shadow of the “noisy, clanky, and utterly barbarous” Sixth Avenue El train, and was bordered by “newsstands that look like the shacks of squatters”, according to commenters in the New York Times. The nation was also in the midst of the Great Depression, which meant that there was little city money available to maintain the park. Administration of NYC’s parks was, at any rate, a haphazard affair: there was no Parks Commissioner, and each borough’s parks were administered by a separate official, who often was a patronage appointee with little expertise.

Aerial view 1931

Despite efforts by neighborhood business alliances, such as the grandly named ‘Forty-Second Street Property Owners and Merchants Association’; the ‘Sixth Avenue Association,’ which deemed the park a “civic eyesore”; and the ‘Fifth Avenue Association;’ to lobby the city to improve the park, funding problems proved intractable. The park’s condition was so poor that Nathan Straus, Jr., President of the New York City Parks Association, a private advocacy group, okayed a plan to place a replica of Mt. Vernon there because “Bryant Park is a park in name only…little harm could be done by placing it there.”

Though the idea to place a replica of Mt. Vernon in the park was scratched, the Commission on the Bi-Centennial of the birth of George Washington did build a replica of Federal Hall there, as seen in this 1932 photo of the park. ‘Federal Hall at Bryant Park’ was the scene of many musical performances and appearances by the famous, including a visit by Amelia Earhart fresh off her trans-Atlantic solo flight. The exhibit was, however, a financial disaster, as far too few of the city’s residents could afford the 25-cent admission fee. Afterwards, it took litigation to compel the organizers to remove the replica from the park, a process that was not completed for nearly a year after the exhibit closed. As a result, the park was in worse shape than ever through much of 1933, leading one observer to state that “Those who once used it as a park now shun it in disgust.”

1930

Things looked pretty bleak, but deliverance was on the way. Throughout the early 1930’s, calls to save the park continued, and at least 100 plans to remodel and restore it were created by landscape architects and circulated. In late 1933, the Architects Emergency Committee, formed to provide relief for unemployed architects, held a contest calling for plans to renovate the park. That contest was won by Queens architect Lusby Simpson, and all 40 entries were displayed at the Ziegfeld Theater in November, 1933. Simpson’s design would serve as the basis for a spectacular restoration, but a few things had to happen first - most importantly, the appointment of a true Parks Commissioner (Robert Moses) with the power, will, and energy to fight the inertia that seemed to have doomed the park to permanent dilapidation.

For more information on the park's transformation, read posts from our 20th Anniversary Series: 

• March 20: Bryant Park from 1992 to Today
• March 26: Bryant Park Before BPC
• April 4: The Tide Turns in 1980

This is an excerpt from a series of articles on the transformation of Bryant Park from our 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 most recent edition of MidCity News online, or sign up to receive it in your inbox. 

Spring 2012 Migratory Season in Bryant Park

Spring Birding Tours return to Bryant Park on Monday. Join us, as we scour the park twice a week, binoculars in hand, with our guide from the New York City Audubon Society, Gabriel Willow. He'll lead us to spot the feathered visitors making a stopover in the park on their way north for the summer.

Gray Catbird by Mike Kosniowski

And new this year, you can follow our discoveries on the blog with weekly updates on our sightings.


Birding Tours of Bryant Park
Mondays, 8am – 9am
Thursdays, 5pm  – 6pm
April 9 – May 24
Meet at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue


Monday, April 9
White-throated Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, Gray Catbird, Hermit Thrush, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, Starling, Winter Wren, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Thursday, April 12

White-throated Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, Gray Catbird, Hermit Thrush, Eastern Phoebe, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow

Monday, April 16
Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow (1st time spotted in the park), White-throated Sparrow, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow

Thursday, April 18

Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Towhee, House Sparrow

Monday, April 23
Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, American Robin, Hermit Thrush

Thursday, April 26

Eastern Towhee, Brown Thrasher, Ovenbird, Gray Catbird, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Blue Jay, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, Swamp Sparrow

Monday, April 30
Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Prothonotary Warbler, House Wren, Palm Warbler, Ovenbird, Starling

Thursday, May 3
Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, White-throated Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Gray Catbird, Prothonotary Warbler, House Wren, Palm Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Swamp sparrow, House Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Rock Pigeon

Monday, May 7
Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Gray Catbird, House Wren, Black-and-white Warbler, Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Rock Pigeon, Eastern Towhee, Magnolia Warbler, Ovenbird, Blue Jay, Swamp Sparrow, Hermit Thrush

Thursday, May 10
Hooded Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Gray Catbird, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, House Sparrow, Wood Thrush, Common Yellowthroat, Rock Pigeon

Monday, May 14
Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Swamp Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, House Sparrow

Thursday, May 17
Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, Ovenbird, White-throated Sparrow, American Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Willow Flycatcher, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow Warbler

Monday, May 21
White-throated Sparrow, House Sparrow, Ovenbird, Rock Pigeon, Gray Catbird, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart

Thursday, May 24
Ovenbird, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, White-throated Sparrow, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Starling

Tulips

The final spring bulbs are at their peak in the park this week. The return to more mild temperatures has actually helped to prolong the life of our pink, white and purple buds after an initial growth spurt. See these delicate spring flowers in beds at the park's perimeter, in the gardens to the north and south of the lawn, and in a particularly stunning array in front of the New York Public Library.

20th Anniversary: The Tide Turns in 1980

Following a decade of seemingly hopeless decline for Bryant Park, the last, best hope for rescuing the park for the people of New York came about in 1980 when the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation was created with a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Former Time, Inc. Chairman (and, at the time, President of the New York Public Library) Andrew Heiskell, and BPRC President Dan Biederman immediately went to work, aided by the advice of public space expert William H. Whyte.

Graffiti Removal 1983

There had been earlier attempts to bring people back to the park, but they mostly centered on creating attractions. The leaders of the fledgling BPC knew that creating programs was important, but just as crucial was to clean the park up, keep it clean, and make it safer for people even when there were no events. Just as importantly, the BPC sought and received the financial support of a number of neighborhood business and property owners, who understood that a successful effort in Bryant Park would benefit them as well.

The Strand Book Table 1981, Photo by Kerry Hayes

The BPRC added a sanitation team to supplement the Parks Department’s own forces, began efforts to repair the park’s dilapidated physical plant, and substantially increased security. People began to come back to the park, and just as importantly, linger on after events. Observers noticed the changes, but were wary as to their permanence. An article in the NY Times in July of that year nicely summed up this combination of cheer and cynicism: ‘Bright Note in a Seedy Park’ expressed the hope by some that new flower beds, an open-air café, and bookstalls might help push out the drug-sellers, but noted that the latter were still there plying their trade.

Library Terrace Cafe 1980s

A more positive article came later in the year. ‘Some Success Seen in Effort to Reclaim Bryant Park’ focused on the larger crowds that were coming on sunny days, but also noted that drug-sellers were operating openly. This article mentioned some of the most important keys to the quick improvement to the park, including private funding, added sanitation and security services, and programming. It also pointed to the future by discussing the defects of the park’s design: “It doesn’t invite you in,” Mr. Whyte was quoted. The solution to that particular problem was a decade away, but in the meantime, as Mr. Heiskell told the Times, “This summer, we’ve finally turned it around.”

For more information on the park's transformation, read posts from our 20th Anniversary Series: 

• March 20: Bryant Park from 1992 to Today
• March 26: Bryant Park Before BPC

This is an excerpt from a series of articles on the transformation of Bryant Park from our 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 most recent edition of MidCity News online, or sign up to receive it in your inbox. 

One Month from Today...

Bryant Park Yoga returns to the park with instructors provided by lululemon athletica. Start stretching and limbering up, because you won't want to miss these outdoor sessions. A spot of peace in the midtown chaos.