Dumbo Pedestrian Plaza Project On Record Pace

That was fast. It was just a month ago that the Department of Transportation and Community Board 2 OK'd the replacement of the parking island at Pearl and Water Streets in Dumbo with a flower-potted pedestrian plaza. In what must be something of a record for a public project, the island was largely complete as of yesterday. We were disappointed that they didn't find some old cobblestones to lay down instead up the cold and uninviting swath of concrete.
Less Parking, More Sitting for Dumbo [Brownstoner]
Pearl Street Triangle Moving Quickly [DumboNYC]

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/1487

Comments

I've heard that actual Belgian blocks aren't that easy to come by.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 10:19 AM

even a stained concrete would have been cooler. although many neighborhoods would kill for that kind of efficiency. Who paid for this?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 10:26 AM

probably the dumb bid

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 10:31 AM

Nice,
are the plants for sale?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 10:37 AM

Looks horrible.... :-(

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 11:53 AM

Belgian blocks - they ripped up about 10,000 of them from the end of Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint last year, where it meets the Newtown creek. God knows what happedned to them. God knows why they ripped them up too. Some "improvement" I guess.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 11:54 AM

Is nobody every happy/satisfied on this site?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 12:00 PM

I'm thrilled about it. Does anyone think that trees and flowers are not an improvement over parked cars?

Posted by: adam at June 29, 2007 12:24 PM

Anon 12:00. No. This is New York

Posted by: Anonymous at June 29, 2007 1:00 PM

if you want trees and flowers, just walk over a block to the park. save the loud, ugly triangle for parking.

Posted by: c. at June 29, 2007 2:12 PM

c: ever been to other cities? you should try it sometime.

Posted by: mike at June 29, 2007 7:22 PM

i'm all for park space, whatever, but this is pretty stupid. I have a work space facing this triangle (in one of the last artist/commercial buildings in the neighborhood) and we always keep the windows closed because it's loud as hell, not to mentions dusty, due to the manhattan bridge. anyone sitting there is going to get their teeth rattled and covered with soot in no time.

Posted by: jp at June 29, 2007 8:48 PM

it's ugly

Posted by: pfa at June 30, 2007 12:19 AM

It is an odd initial project for BID funds. In addition to the legitimate critiques by others, this represents a rather explicit lurch in the direction of prettifying a neighborhood whose appeal is based largely on its industrial past. This is not an argument against trees or public spaces or even baby strollers and bankers, but why try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear when our modern sensibilities find unique and significant artisitic merit in the sow?

A major challenge to usage of this space will be that no food or beverage vendors currently populate this triangle. A cafe or coffee shop seems an essential anchor; maybe this will provide an incentive for such an establishment.

I wish the DNA had made the opening of the bridge archway their first priority with the DOT rather than this, although this was probably easier to facilitate, a fast route to evidence of action.

Posted by: Rascal at July 1, 2007 7:07 AM

« Piece of Historic Wallabout Threatened by Developers Fake Out: No Organic Market for Lexington Avenue »

June 29, 2007

Dumbo Pedestrian Plaza Project On Record Pace

Trackback Pings

Comments

Post a comment

Latest Restaurant Additions