Writing 2100

While the most common association to Union Square is that of shopping, there is far more to see and learn in the area than one would assume. Union Square Park can easily be forgotten and overlooked by the passerby heading to Whole Foods or running underground to catch a train. Personally the Movie Theater, Forbidden Planet, and Strand bookstore always held more of a pull than the small island in the square. It was all too easy to avoid with so many side streets and subway entrances. This small park was as alien and unfamiliar as any other but upon closer inspection it offered far more than it was given credit for. Before the decision to document Union Square Park was even made a man approached and proceeded to tell of the failures of hidden meanings in Union Square art. Once it was discovered that the mysterious green hand above Duane Reade was actually a reflection of the outstretched hand of a George Washington statue across the street, my choice was clear.

As the case with most parks and social areas in NYC there are physical characteristics of the area and a certain crowd that tend to define the space itself. At the very entrance there are stairs that skateboarders and artists frequent at all hours of the day. Second only to the steps in popularity, are the long aisles of benches. Some of the benched areas are avoided as they can house numerous sleeping homeless people and substance abusers. However, during the holidays the space is instead packed to capacity with tents selling various gifts and goods. Once warmer months set in most vendors can be seen selling art work along the sidewalk and the green market rolls in to draw its own crowd. Immediately surrounding the park are large stores such as Best Buy, Filenes Basement, Forever 21 and smaller shops such as Crumbs Bake Shop and Jamba Juice. With so many attractions or distractions it isn’t hard to overlook the slice of nature, peace and quiet right at the center of all the hustle and bustle.

Once the obvious is acknowledged and moved past, the seemingly minute details begin to float to the surface. The park has numerous statues, fountains, a gilded flagpole sitting atop a pedestal encircled in stone and bronze, lampposts, trees, squirrels and birds. As mundane as it may seem, through the eye of a camera, new life is breathed into the simplest most overlooked things. Although the park had been passed countless times all of these features had somehow hidden away from view; only when forced to take a closer look did the true beauty shine through. One particular aspect that would have remained unseen had it not been for this project was a certain fountain on the Union Square West side of the park. Walking along the inside aisles of benches it was almost passed by but after circling the fences, there it stood. The fountain is topped by a statue of a woman named Charity and 2 children. Below the statue is the fountain itself which is covered on 4 sides with great lion heads, garland and above each head 2 butterflies and a dragonfly. Its art such as this, a fountain that has been fixed in place for decades if not lifetimes and can still be new to a person, that keeps New York City such an amazing place. The carved lion’s heads were not spectacular, the statues had turned colors and were covered in bird remains but the existence of that fountain at that exact moment was one of the most beautiful sights to behold. Later on it would be discovered that the original use of the fountain was to have cool drinking water on hand to dissuade people from drinking alcohol, and that made it all the more appealing.

While small, Union Square Park still makes a mark in NYC. This park brings funds to the city all year long through markets and events. It promotes supporting local food growers with its green markets, local shops with its tent sales during peak shopping seasons, and local artists by buying offering original art almost year round. It is a meeting place for various groups and can be easily seen as a great place to hangout. It offers designated areas for kids to play, for dogs to socialize and run around and should be considered a great place to unwind after all of that shopping. While originally having overlooked the park, after being awakened to its peaceful beauty, it is unimaginable what Union Square would be like without it.

*Feel free to click on any pictures to see more clearly 😀 *