Archives: Union Square 19th Century
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Will Artists Be Pushed Out of the Park?
ByDonHow do you feel about all those artists who take up quite a bit of space selling their art at the southwest corner of Union Square Park. Here’s an article that says they may soon be squeezed into a smaller area:
The Parks Department has proposed new regulations that would drastically limit the number of artists allowed to sell their work in Union Square and other Manhattan parks.The Parks Department claims the rules will decrease congestion, but critics accuse the city of pushing out independent street artists in order to replace them with more lucrative vendors.
The Parks Department declined to answer questions submitted by the NY Destinations Examiner .
A Parks Department spokesperson provided an email statement, much of which was excerpted from the Parks Department’s March 24 notice in The City Record .
” The dramatic increase in the number of expressive matter vendors on parkland has prompted the Parks Department to develop these rules in an effort to strike a balance between these vendors and other park users, and address other concerns related to maintaining and operating open space in an urban environment, ” reads the statement.
New Escalator in Subway Station
ByDonThe MTA is still chipping away at improvements on the L train, having announced a new escalator coming into service at the Union Square station to service the 19,000 pre-pandemic riders that shuffle on and off the platform every hour during the week.
This installation, designed to ease congestion through the busy interchange, follows elevators paired with a new entrance to the L train’s First Avenue station near Avenue A and switch replacements on the 4-5-6 near Union Square in recent months.
These improvements were funded by the MTA prior to the financial crisis they currently face due to COVID-19.
“This new escalator is another achievement for the larger L project team that, delivered that huge project early and below budget,” MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber said. “Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic we’re using innovative strategies to deliver customer improvements faster and at lower cost than ever before.”
Judy McClain, Chief of Operations Planning at New York City Transit, says that because the L train platform at this location is one of the most congested during pre-pandemic levels of ridership the escalator is one of the fastest in subway system; it can move up to 92 people per minute.
New Asian Restaurant Nearby
ByDonVarious sources report on the opening of Hea, the new eatery from Friend House owner Joe Ngai. They write: “Chef Heng Meng Kong (Penang) indulges his Malaysian background with dishes like green curry with market vegetables and skate wing grilled in banana leaves. Hea morphs into a lounge at night, where drinkers can sample elixirs such as a blend of plummy spiced rum, lemon juice and seltzer, or vodka mixed with Calpico (a Japanese soft drink) and yuzu.” 145 E. 13th Street, 212-982-1688.
More Coffee, Anyone
ByDonJust what the neighborhood didn’t need: another place to spend $6 on coffee. Joe and the Juice will open a new location at the corner of University and 13th St., the site formerly occupied by the defunct Nutella Cafe.
Union Square Partnership Annual Meeting, May 7
ByDonIf you’d like to attend the Union Square Partnership’s Annual Meeting on May 7th, click here.
Hyatt Hotel: Certified Open
ByDonThe new Hyatt Union Square at 13th and 4th is now open, as are all its restaurants.