New Old View of Union Square

Have you noticed that many dry cleaners, including the one on 13th closest to our building, are now billing themselves as “organic?” What does that really mean. Not much in reality. Click here to read an article and watch a video report.

Next week (May 27 to May 31), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building. We will be working on the new sidewalks around the building and installing new curbs and will be removing the sidewalk shed along 13th st. Additionally we will be working on the roofs of the building. The site will be closed on Monday, the 27th for the holiday.

The following week (June 3 to June 7), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors as well as sidewalk work.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, May 25th for interior, roof, and sidewalk activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

Crumbs Bakery on University and 13th has closed…for the second time.

DNAinfo Reports:

A 31-foot-tall sculpture resembling a stick of pink rock candy will rise on the plaza at 14th Street and Union Square East this fall, officials said.

The installation — dubbed “Rose Crystal Tower” and designed by renowned glassblower Dale Chihuly — will consist of a 22-foot structure made of glass-like resin sitting on top of a nine-foot base, according to Parks Department representatives.

The department is looking into whether it will be possible to use power sources in the area to light the sculpture from the inside, according to Jennifer Lantzas, deputy director of public art for the agency.

The tower will consist of numerous layers of pink crystals stacked on top of each other to create a column, according to early renderings.

The resin which Chihuly is using in place of his usual glass materials will be hard enough to withstand breakage, according to Dale Lanzone of Marlborough Gallery, which is sponsoring the Union Square installation.

“You could throw a rock at it or really do whatever you wanted to break it and it’s not going to break,” he said at Community Board 5’s Parks and Public Space Committee meeting Monday.

This will be Chihuly’s second public exhibition in the city, coming on the heels of an installation in the New York Botanical Gardens that will debut in April. It will be displayed from October 2017 until October 2018.

Chihuly, who sports a distinctive eye patch stemming from a glassblowing accident, is known for his creations that range from flora and fauna to abstract designs that have helped turn glassblowing into an avante-garde artform, Lanzone said.

“In the world of glass, he really invented the art form,” Lanzone said. “Chihuly is synonymous with glass sculpture.”DN

An update from the Farmer’s Market:

The time has come to flex your Winter Warrior muscles! Each year, from January through March, Greenmarkets across the city participate in the Winter Warrior Challenge. If you shop at the market during the coldest months of the year, you can win a prize (and Winter Warrior bragging rights!)!

It’s simple to participate and fun for the whole family! All you need to do is stop by any Greenmarket Market Info Tent to pick up your Winter Warrior card. Then, every time you shop at the Greenmarket between January and March, visit the Info Tent to get your card stamped.

Shop ten times before March 31st and win a small Greenmarket prize plus an entry into our raffle for one of our grand prizes. For details, grand prize announcements, and more, follow us at @unsqgreenmarket on Instagram!