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I am a father of a 4 year old that has spent countless weekends in the Union Square Park playground gritting my teeth at its ugliness. This past year the sandbox was closed for months because rats made it their home. It is absurd to be against a renovated playground because it loses some square footage that is presently there. Wake up: it’s not about square footage! It is about creating a safe, fun, multi-use area for kids and parents to socialize, explore, and relax. Only a renovation will bring that to Union Square as it has done to other wonderful, much smaller playgrounds as in Madison Square Park, and the fantastic, imaginatively designed playground at 23rd and the West Side Highway (Who would have thought that a small playground plopped in the middle of a highway could be so wonderful!! Go check it out).
I greatly support Susan Kramer and her efforts to bring a renovation to Union Square. Life is too short to be bickering about conspiracy theories of restaurants and nostalgically holding on to a rosy past image of the pavilion. Change is always slightly scary; but we must embrace it, and we will be glad for it in retrospect.

Once again, Susan is only half-right: there are indeed issues other than children. Plenty of local and visiting adults enjoy having public park space, and do not want to see it constricted; especially one that doubles as a public square. Without public squares, citizens could not easily rally and establishing women’s suffrage, civil rights, and the EPA would have been that much harder.

As safety, having an abandoned park and pavilion is indeed unsafe. Once these areas are no longer under lockdown and are reopened to the public, there is no reason to suppose that they will be any less safe than a restaurant. In fact, a restaurant overlooking a park will endanger children by supplying them with smoking, drinking role models, rather than with people playing indoors and speaking up for their rights.

The most dangerous thing for children is if they have no place to play, and end up looking for one on their own. The park is spacious and, thanks to the pavilion, dry. That this area is sunken makes it easy to overlook and supervise children. It is a far safer place than some unknown den, and the size promotes much-needed exercise. Without as space in public parks, where will children and youths go for sports? Unhealthy alternatives like ESPN and Nintendo.

The pavilion is only one of two in NYC, and is greatly valued by those who would use it for public events, or for children’s activities, such as my own nursery school graduation ceremony and party.

It is a bit sad that BID investors are still arguing completion. The Union Square area already has a lot of private business competition. What it lacks if play space, or any kind of public space for that matter.

Susan Kramer correctly stated that she has “no idea” what will be built in Union Square, except that it will be some kind of private cafe. Is this not reason enough to oppose a change from the original plans to keep this a public park? The “precedent” of a part-time traveling “summer cafe” is insignificant, and even that “excuse-building-cafe” was a mistake to begin with.

The secret investor who pays for part of the project would never be allowed to donate to an election campaign, so why let the secret B.I.D. investor sponsor a government public good?

She also correctly states that a delay in progress will prevent everyone from having a playground. After all, it is currently occupied by equipment and fenced off. In other words, BID is holding the community space hostage, and blaming the victims when they ask for their park back.

If Ms. Kramer really wants to raise revenue for the public good of a desperately needed public park, there are many ways to allocate money. Removing much of the park’s usable public areas and replacing them with private facilities, is, perhaps, not the best way.

Susan Kramer correctly stated that she has “no idea” what will be built in Union Square, except that it will be some kind of private cafe. Is this not reason enough to oppose a change from the original plans to keep this a public park? The “president” of a part-time traveling “summer cafe” is insignificant, and even that “excuse-building-cafe” was a mistake to begin with.

The secret investor who pays for part of the project would never be allowed to donate to an election campaign, so why let the secret B.I.D. investor sponsor a government public good?

She also correctly states that a delay in progress will prevent everyone from having a playground. After all, it is currently occupied by equipment and fenced off. In other words, BID is holding the community space hostage, and blaming the victims when they ask for their park back.

If Susan Kramer really wants to raise revenue for the public good of a desperately needed public park, there are many ways to allocate money. Removing much of the park’s usable public areas and replacing them with private facilities, is, perhaps, not the best way.

STOP THE PRIVATIZATION OF UNION SQUARE PARK (USP)

In 2001 members of A.R.T.I.S.T. won a Federal lawsuit, Lederman et al v Giuliani, establishing their right to sell art in any NYC park under First Amendment freedom of speech. Please note that this Federal ruling protects the sale of visual art in the form of painting, prints, sculptures and photographs. It does not protect the sale of general merchandise such as jewelry, batteries etc.

The artists who sell in USP are members of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics). We urge you to help us defend the entire public's free expression rights in this and every other NYC park. We also fully support the continued operation of the Greenmarket, which is one of the best things ever done in any NYC Park. Help us defend your public park.

A.R.T.I.S.T. website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NYCStreetArtists/
Email: artistpres@gmail.com
Contact the Parks Commissioner, Adrian Benepe at:
The Arsenal Central Park NY, NY 10021
Tell him No Privatization of Union Sq. Park!

Susan,
what has become of our nation, when we can't even build a playground without taking bribes from businesses who want to take a piece of public land in exchange. I'm sure you know the park has "liveliness and safety" without another restaurant. the greenmarket is a service used by 1000's weekly, if anything expand this much needed service. let your rich friends find another 'café' to hold court.

Marjorie makes "business-run" sound like it's something evil. Isn't the Greenmarket and its farms businesses? Don't most of us work for businesses? When businesses do well, don't we also?

It's wonderful to be an idealist, but sometimes idealism doesn't build playgrounds or pay for park upkeep.

And this might sound sacrilegious, but that pavilion building is far from an architectural gem and is not very functional in terms of design. Even Union Square Community Coalition's own preservationist & historian, Jack Taylor, once said that perhaps the park would be best served to tear it down and start fresh.

No one is arguing against the desperately needed rehabilitaion of the once beautiful 1930 classical pavilion! There are many uses for the final space, if well-planned; a 120 seat hi-scale restaurant, as has been lauded in print by the Parks Commissioner, is the least appropriate use. Union Square is small (less than 4 acres) and is saturated with restaurants within and next to the square, from low to high end.
Play space, as much as possible, for teenagers as well as children is what is needed! And more greenery, seats and trees for all!!
Free Union Square from the business-run BID which is the engine driving the privitization of the most egalitarian public place in NYC!

I've worked so hard over the last 11 years to get this playground built. You're so off the mark if you think I'm a shill for anyone but my kids, who are both now too old to use it. These people who got the injunction don't even have any school-age children. They only care about the pavilion and are using children as their Trojan horse. The playground can't be built without restoring the pavilion simultaneously. The interior space is not at all suitable for play. If a cafe is going to bring liveliness and safety to the park as well as money to the city, I wholeheartedly support it! Go take a look at that space and then make a judgement.

No one's taking "playspace" away from anyone. The city is trying to add it, but you have to look beyond the propaganda to realize that. The longer this is delayed, the kids will miss out another summer without a playground.

And talk about commercialism, take a walk through the "flea market" that's taken over the south end of your park. Was the 1st Amendment created for people to sell non-political buttons, candles & other non-art objects and completely take over parkland as they wish? Take a close look at what some of these vendors are selling on your public property. Then ask how much, if any, of their profit is coming back to the city.

The Greenmarket will finally be getting proper outlets for water and electricity as well as a paved plaza instead of an airport tarmac. Get the full story before being so quick to judge.

This is another pointed example of how the general population does not understand the need and importance of paying taxes for public services. The continued onslaught against reasonable tax policies opens the door for "private donors" to take control of public services and spaces, either by contributing to political campaigns or directly to the public amenity, as seems to be the case with Union Square Park.

Those "private donors" expect to gain personally in exchange for their supposed generosity, either by controlling the public service/space or by getting a leg up in any commercial gain that may result, such as supplanting a public agency with a private company that still receives public funds.

Therefore, our diminishing tax dollars will continue to go into the pockets of the wealthy and well-connected, while our public streets, schools, parks (and even construction sites) collapse from a lack of sufficient funding. Ordinary citizens are yearning for some kind of transparency, regulation and oversight from their elected representatives and coming up pretty short.

An altogether depressing legacy of continued domination of our government (city, state and federal) by the Republican Party and their quest to own and control everything in the public sphere they can.

I also want to say, what is so terrible about
the skateboarding kids or any one else using the park.
That's the uniqueness of NYC, where so many
types can coexist . . . do we only want a "playground" for the glamorous.

Great discussion. As one commenter said, why is Susan saying they should be allowed to build the playground, yet she also wants to believe that there are no strings on the funds that were donated. If that is the case, then the restaurant has nothing to do with going ahead and building a nice playground.

Large parks may have room, and a need for restaurants. Union Square is relatively small, and is already surrounded by restaurants.

Finally, I cast my vote with the "church" of StopShopping (that is the kind of church needed right now!) If possible we should expand on the farmers market in support of the direction to local food and local shopping as needed for our environment. If not possible to expand the green market right now, leave it as an open, non-commercialized space. Wow! Another spot in NYC that has not been "monetized" - let's keep it that way. - David Alexander

This is the craziest thing I've heard in a month of Sundays! We're going to take away space to make the park larger.

If it can be done in Union Square, why not Riverside? Or Central Park? Or Inman? Or Prospect Park?

Much as I LOVE New York, it's like living in a particularly weird issue of the Onion or living in a SNL sketch.

Of course a restaurant is welcome - especially in a park. They are rare in Manhattan - eating in a big open space without cars smoking by.
Have you seen the lines at the Shake Shack? I'd say there is a need and a desire of the population. Especially those of us with young children - it's easier to run around and feel you can be outside. Many outdoor cafe's are not so kid-friendly!

thanks for discussing this???

What about the Farmer's Market ???
So many people solicit it,myself included.
Also, so many hang out in park, if no one
is in Pavilion it can be made more inviting
without a new restaurant.

Ride on Rev Billy. Kick butt. You got it right. Amen

Susan Kramer says, "I never see anyone hanging out in the that pavilion." Well, even before it was fenced off, during off the off season the area remained behind a closed gate. That might explain it!

Who is she kidding, she's probably getting paid by the organization. If she really wants playground space for the kids they fight for THAT, NOT the restaurant. Please she sounds like a plant for the organization wanting this project.

Better idea. Build an H&M.

I shop the Green Market and visit the park at least two or three times a week. I resent that work has started and then has been stopped to improve the park. It has disrupted the Green Market as well as visits to the park. Anyone who thinks families visit this park with small children is dreaming. The park is filled with NYU students and teenagers and homeless people. There has been a restaurant there for years, that was in terrible shape and ignored by the general public. If there was a playgound in the park, I was not aware of it. If young people were hanging out in front of the pavillion, they were exchanging drugs. Play was not involved.

Why haven't the people who live and work in the area been able to express their feelings? This is a project that will cripple the Greenmarket, that will cut off a large section of the park from the public, and that will stain the history of the area, while lining the pockets of the rich. Imagine turning Independence Hall into a Snack Shack.

If we the people were allowed to vote about this, the project would be terminated immediately.

Build a street style skatepark there.

There are plenty of private restaurants in public parks around the city. Tavern on the Green (Central Park), Battery Gardens (Battery Park), ... the list goes on.

How cheesy a cafe that will bring litter from the cheap paper and styrofoam cups and plates they will use. It's not only boring now it's sickening as well. Chuncky Cheese.

if this restaurant fails after a year or two, like most in NYC... What next???

Just what we need: Another restaurant that I can't afford, as an underemployed person struggling to maintain residence in the city.

It's true there are more restaurants already around the park and some very exclusive ones at that. Not only that, there's no special views from Union Sq. Park other than clostrophobic surrounding of not so very attractive buildings and storefronts. Pleeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzz get over yourselves. It will turn out to be a failure and probably be deserted to then become a sleazy crappy restaurant that will destroy the park.

Last time I had a drink at the restaurant that used to be there, there were rats running around the parimeter.

People in SI are protesting the presence of a half-way house in their neighborhood, while in Union Square they're protesting a restaurant. What else do you need to know about NYC.

There's also lots of friction now between the artists selling their wares and the greenmarket folks selling theirs. Both groups have been crammed together at the south end of the park. My question? What happens to the artists and the farmers come December, when, I assume, those countless booths selling holiday gifts are set up at the south end?

Bloomberg and his private sector buddies have done more than enough damage to the city. We don't need another rich folks' amenity on city-owned land...As noted above, there are more than enough restaurants in the area, including upscale venues for the high-end crowd. City parks should be for the rest of us.

Tear it down. Too many bums, skate boarders, drug addicts hang out there anyway. It'd be great for the green market since the new restaurant will buy their ingredients from them (hopefully) hence it's fresh. More restaurants=more competitions, which means better quality and service instead of a monopoly or an applebee's or tgif or whatever. Union Square now belongs to the yunnies -- young urban narcissist's. The artsy bohemians are gone. Live with it.

Another way for Bloomberg to develop every inch of the city so he can line the pockets with tax payer money of his development friends.

Bloomberg has sold out new yorkers.

2 stadiums in one year???????!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on people wake up!!!!!!

There are way more than enough resturants around Union Square. What could be more valuable than even a lttle extra open space in Manhattan?

i don't understand the need for a restaurant in that spot. i never went to the former restaurant in the area. what is to happen to the green market? will it stay? any way we could make the green market 7 days a week?

That's ridiculous Union Square Park got a major facelift about 10 or so years ago when they raised the park from ground level. It's a city park and too small to hold a privately owned restaurant. They should NOT be allowed to do this. Why doesn't the city put money into improving and setting up parks in more depressed areas of the city.
If there is one thing this city does best is to waste money.