Harvest in the Square Soon

This year’s annual shareholder meeting will take place virtually on October 12. Watch your mail and e-mail for log-in details.

The latest “doomsday” budget cut plans from the MTA include eliminating the W train, which would be an inconvenince at Union Square, although the R, N, and Q still head the same way, at least in Manhattan.

Soon to arrive on East 13th. St. in the former Blick Art Space is HGL Art. Here’s how they explain themselves:

“HGL ART provides support for parents/guardians by having children explore the World Art School through a fully immersive bilingual art curriculum focusing on the arts, dance, and music. The program is designed to alleviate the stress of finding courses or activities that provide both safety and a strong foundation for education and creativity. We know that every parent and child’s breaks and schedule vary which is why we offer semesterly admission for the courses and accompanied sessions for the weekend activities to accommodate whatever format works best.”

Chick-fil-A is negotiating a lease for a Union Square location formerly occupied by popular restaurant Bluewater Grill. The fast-food chain, known for its chicken sandwiches and controversial support of antigay groups and issues, is likely to open an outpost at 31 Union Square West. Tthe landlord had been asking for nearly $2 million in annual rent, which is what drove Bluewater Grill to close. It isn’t clear whether Chick-fil-A will take the entirety of the roughly 11,000-square-foot vacancy and what the Atlanta-based chain is agreeing to pay in rent.

Thanks to Charles Stimson for purchasing and sharing these four photographs from the city archives. Shot for a tax survey in 1939, they show our block and are full of fascinating detail if you click on them to blow them up and look a little closer. Wouldn’t you love to stop off at Marty’s Luncheon for a sandwich? As New York races into the future, it’s quite a thrill to be able to look back and remind ourselves how things used to be.

The New York Post offers this brief history of Union Square. It’s interesting to note that before the subway was built, the park was at street level. When the subway came through, the whole park was torn up and elevated several feet, which why you enter it via stairs today.