• Park Renovation Continues Apace

    ByDon

    In Union Square Park, the 16th Street transverse and eastern plaza are now open to pedestrians, complete with additional park benches along the north sides of the transverse. New asphalt pavers and crushed bluestone allow the stately elm trees along the transverse to thrive while removing the previous trip hazard, and the entrance to the center lawn is now accessible to wheelchairs. The park’s new and expanded 15,000-square-foot play space is nearing completion with Parks Department final site inspections scheduled in the next few weeks. Soon, area kids will have endless hours of fun in this creative, colorful and beautifully landscaped play space designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The North End Project is 91% complete and the remainder of the project, including new restroom facilities and the Pavilion, are expected to be finished by the end of the year.

  • This Year’s Holiday Market

    ByDon

    The holiday shopping season kicks off in November with the opening of the popular Union Square Holiday Market, operated by Urban Space Management.  The market is open every day from Wednesday, November 25th through Wednesday, December 24th with the exception of Thanksgiving. Be sure to stop by for a variety of unique items including handcrafted jewelry, fine art, clothes, handmade ornaments, and toys for kids of all ages. Market hours are Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays, 10 AM to 8 PM; Sundays, 11 AM to 7 PM; and 10 AM to 4 PM on Christmas Eve. Don’t forget to stop by the Holiday Market Information Booth to pick up coupons for special discounts at over 20 Union Square restaurants and eateries.

  • Best Buy Will Open on Nov. 13

    ByDon

    Here’s the update: 

    Since Best Buy is constantly looking to build on its existing culture of innovation and tailor its stores to the needs of local customers, the electronic retail powerhouse figures, “Heck, why not open a 24-hour spot down there in New York City’s Union Square?” That’s right, Best Buy’s CEO Brian Dunn announced today that a 24-hour, 48,000 square-foot location (the old Circuit City) will open its doors at the corner of 14th Street and 4th Avenue, the heart of historic “please don’t run into me with your skateboard” Union Square, on Nov. 13. Dunn explained, “Today’s consumers have hectic lifestyles that don’t always conform to traditional retail hours. New York has long been known as the city that never sleeps.” Ye —people are lying awake at night, wishing they had a Golden Girls DVD or an Epson scanner! (Sorry, Virgin Megastore.) Maybe people really are looking to shop after 10 p.m.—the 24-hour 5th Avenue Apple Store is doing well. And there’s always the possibility of making a night of it with a bite to eat at the soon-to-come TGI Friday’s. The new location will be open each week from 8 a.m. on Monday through 12 a.m. on Sunday, re-opening for regular Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • The Latest on Park Construction

    ByDon

    From the park association: It’s crunch time in Union Square Park as the North End Project reaches 83 percent and enters into the final stretch. New granite curb has been installed along Union Square East, and crews are hard at work paving the east side and 16th Street transverse. Next, they will install the playground’s south perimeter fence once paving is complete. To recap, at this time the landscaping is finished and the park’s new trees, shrubbery and perennials are taking root. Most of the plazas having been reopened to the public and the Greenmarket is fully operational on site in time for their busy fall season. Pavilion restoration continues, though hampered by graffiti removal that has proven challenging, and the new restroom facility on the east side of the project area is nearing completion.