Remembering Dan Gallagher

Finally, the big part of the renovation is complete. And the fountain lines up with 5th Ave., which, apparently, was really important to the architects even though no one else seemed to care much.

The Observer reports:

Richard Cantor, a principle in the real estate marketing firm of Cantor-Pecorella, considers that the best of Village life consists of “very luxurious” apartments that incorporate the “open expanse” of loft-style living with the communal intimacy of townhouse residency. How serendipitous that Mr. Cantor’s firm should happen to be marketing the new(ish) eight-unit development at 12 East 13th Street co-engineered by DHA Capital and Continental Properties, which, he recently told the Observer, evinces just these same qualities! You know what they say, it’s always easier to sell a product that you truly believe in.

Certain longtime denizens of the Village, of course, would no-doubt quarrel with the tenets of Mr. Cantor’s appraisal, but his luck on East 13th Street has been pretty good so far. He reports that the development has made its first sale, of the full-floor Residence #4, which, he said, went for just shy of its $11.25 million asking price. The buyers, he said, were a young-ish family already living in the area and pleased indeed to find a place of this size–four bedrooms, 4,816 square feet–so near the heart of the neighborhood. The patriarch, naturally, is in finance.

But surely it was not size alone that lured the new owners; there is also, for example, the very luxurious open expanse of the condo’s townhouse-like intimacy to consider. The building, which was converted from a parking garage, retains a trace of automotive functionality, offering private parking spaces gratis for residents via a state-of-the-art robotic system. More creaturely comforts include high ceilings and big windows for plentiful light and air, custom Italian cabinetry, and bathrooms with generous portions of slab marble and Italian limestone.

Mr. Cantor said that he expects several more closures in the coming weeks, and occupancy no later than this summer. But for all you big spenders out there, the glass-sheathed triplex penthouse, we were given to understand, remains available. All you need to move in is $30.5 million, which seems eminently reasonable, for the very best of Village living.

Read more at http://observer.com/2015/03/best-of-the-village-garage-to-condo-development-notches-first-sale-around-11-25m/#ixzz3UYu20ZHe

The Union Square Partnership unveiled a brand-new street mural installation along the pedestrian areas of the 14th Street Busway between Broadway and Union Square West. Titled Collective Vision, the artwork is designed by celebrated street artists GERALUZ and WERC, a Brooklyn-based couple. The mural is presented in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program, and was installed over a 5 day period last week with the help of community partners and volunteers.

The design of Collective Vision is inspired by the power of nature and unity as strong extensions of humankind and the Earth. The street mural features the ruby-throated hummingbird to illustrate the power of resilience in standing together against injustice and extinction. Each of the flowers presented in the mural depicts an endangered native plant, from the striped coralroot and swamp sunflower to the sandplain gerardia. These illustrations remind viewers that we all need love and energy to stay alive and flourish, drawing a parallel to the need for solidarity and cooperation amongst humanity, a necessity in order to survive and live harmoniously.

The mural also pays homage to the history of movements fighting for social justice in Union Square, as well as the struggle for racial equality in America, while celebrating the role public spaces play to unite communities in collective activism and shared experience.

“Union Square has a proud history as a gathering place for all New Yorkers to come together in collective empowerment to make their voices heard,” said Jennifer Falk, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership. “We are honored to have the work of artists Geraluz and WERC grace 14th Street in Union Square, promoting the significance of resilience, love and solidarity in this historic location, which has long celebrated community activism and fights against injustice.”

“We are proud to share the “Collective Vision” mural with the beautiful community of Union Square” share artists GERALUZ + WERC. “Painted in a love language of gratitude in the form of a bouquet of resilience. It’s an honor to create artwork in a place with so much history of unity and power of the people.”

Geraluz and WERC are Brooklyn-based artists who have worked on many featured murals across New York City. As a team, the couple is passionate about the beautification of public spaces, community empowerment, and art as a healing tool. They often work by taking an analytical and archeological approach to create site-specific pieces that are harmonious with the surrounding area.

DOT implemented the 14th Street Busway pilot project in October 2019 as an exciting new transit upgrade for 14th Street, and as a street design prototype for the city-at-large. The center of the busway crosses the heart of Union Square, where sidewalk extensions were installed to make additional space for walking. These new pedestrian areas are situated in a highly visible confluence of foot traffic and transit access. Collective Vision is the first artwork to activate the pedestrian areas, presenting a remarkable opportunity to support, enhance, and celebrate the new pedestrian-focused infrastructure while communicating an important message and beautifying the neighborhood.

“We’re overjoyed to continue pedestrianizing Union Square with the introduction of Collective Vision,” Falk continued. “While the creation of the 14th Street Busway was an incredible first step in rethinking public space prior to the pandemic, the installation of the street mural goes further to highlight the wide, open areas in Union Square created to provide New Yorkers with ample, safe space to walk and enjoy.”

In early 2021, USP announced the Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan, aimed to increase public space by 33 percent and make the district more accessible and pedestrian-friendly. USP is a non-profit organization that operates as a public-private partnership, promoting the district’s key advantages and diverse array of assets, as well as advocating for its continued growth and success. For more on the Vision Plan, visit unionsquarenyc.org/vision.

To get a sense of the pulse of the neighborhood, check out the USP’s ANNUAL REPORT. It’s full of interesting plans and action items, such as:

Public Space Activations: This summer, USP is rolling
out new seating areas, enhanced landscaping, the
second annual mural along the 14th Street Busway,
and hosting an Oonee Pod Mini, a prototype for safe
bike storage.

Park Upgrades: In partnership with NYC Parks, USP
will develop a Union Square Park infrastructure
plan that includes upgraded utilities, irrigation, and
bathrooms amenities, as well as a preservation plan
of the entire district’s tree canopy.

Since January 2021, 46 new businesses have opened in and around Union Square.

Adding them all up:

–Blue Bottle

–NewsBar

–Joe

–La Maison de Croque Monsieur

–Unnamed Japanese Bakery not yet open

–Blue Stripes Cacao Shop

–Baked by Melissa

–Le Café Coffee

–Nutella Café

–Grey Dog

–Pret a Manger

–Maison Keyser

An urban planner who has been looking around for ways to make the city more pedestrian-friendly (and to open up more space for protesting) wrote “Union Square could be greatly enhanced by following through on a 2010 plan to pedestrianize Union Square West. Also pedestrianizing University Place would be a bold step that could link Union Square and Washington Square Park, merging two vital public spaces into a permanent platform for open expression.”

That would certainly change the neighborhood.