Union Square Park: A Zero-Waste Location?
Can the Union Square area ever achieve zero waste? Many people and businesses are trying to make it happen.
Read about it here.
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Union Square Partnership Gathers Resident Opinions
How do you feel about Union Square. The Union Square Partnership does an annual opinion survey to find out. Some thoughts from the results:
FOSTERING A THRIVING ECONOMY IN USQ
USP asked respondents to share the types of businesses
they would like to see in Union Square. Half of respondents
would like to see more cultural institutions (50%),
followed by art galleries/exhibitions (48%), and cafés/
coffee shops (47%). Many respondents mentioned wanting
to see more local businesses — including small, curated
stores, non-chain coffee shops and eateries, and specialty
grocery stores. This feedback highlights a strong community
interest in maintaining a vibrant retail environment in
Union Square rooted in unique, local offerings.ENHANCING LIVABILITY IN USQ
USP is committed to keeping Union Square clean, safe, and
beautiful. The majority of respondents are satisfied (very
satisfied and somewhat satisfied) across key metrics of
USP’s work enhancing livability. Respondents reported the
highest levels of satisfaction with the landscaping of Union
Square Park (87%), planter landscaping (87%), Broadway Plaza
maintenance (85%), and public seating areas (77%). While
most respondents remain pleased with the district’s upkeep,
some expressed a desire for extended hours and seasonality
for the public seating areas as well as improved lighting,
especially in Union Square Park and surrounding streets.
Following USP’s 2023 launch of the Public Safety Officer
(PSO) program, perceptions of public safety improved by
15 points in the 2024 survey. The 2025 survey results show
that this perception has largely stabilized, with 87% of
respondents noting that their perception of public safety
in USP’s Core Services Area (CSA) has improved or seen
no change over the past year. Moreover, the percent of
respondents reporting concerns around public safety within
the CSA decreased by 15% in 2025 compared to 2024.
Gone: New York Health and Racquet Club
After almost 40 years, the New York Health and Racquet Club on 13th St. is no more. A few branches of the gym will be taken over by a competitor, but not this one. End of an era.Homeless Man Wants $1 Million
A New York panhandler, often seen around Union Square, is on a unique mission, The Local East Village reports today. Chris Coon, 29, who has two kids and is homeless, wants to ask a million people for a dollar. He describes the project on his website, AskAMillion,com (a woman heard about his idea and gave him a laptop), as “A Social Experiment to both Help me to get out of Homelessness, take care of my two daughters and to take care of my daily living.” Coon has asked 3,462 people for a handout since the beginning of May and at this rate, City Room calculates he will reach his goal in about February 2054. When approaching people, clipboard in hand, Coon describes the concept behind his experiment, asks for some money and then records their gender and ethnicity.