From the "Huh?!" file

Huh?

I work from home at my computer every day except (most of the time) weekends. While I work, I stream one of the New York radio news stations and was incensed to hear about the success of another project on Kickstarter. $20,000 was pledged for this book about the smells of New York City. It’s a scratch and sniff book about good smells such as pizza, shish-kabobs and bagels, but it also include the bad smells all New Yorkers contend with such as sewer steam and garbage.

I ask you. Which book would be more helpful and worthwhile to fund - a book on smells or a book about where to find the best pocket parks and their histories?


This sounds like spilled milk, I know, but it isn’t. I’m simply baffled, once again, by the tastes of the American public. Perhaps it is because she works right in the city and I do not. Perhaps she begged more, which I do not, or has more connections being out in the world rather than working virtually. I don’t know. I am still going and ready to hit the city again in September. Wish me luck as I wish the Scratch and Sniff author luck.

Park Day 2011 in West Virginia

If you live in Parkersburg, WV, you have the opportunity to create your own pocket park on September 17^th, 2011! That’s the idea behind Parkday 2011. According to contest rules:

Contest participants will be required to construct their Pocket Park within the dimensions of their assigned 8’ width x 20’ length parking spot.

This is apparently a contest to promote healthy living. Though I’m not sure how that translates into decorating  a parking space, it still looks like fun.  Go to http://bit.ly/oYK1XC and learn about this contest.

Aerial view of Parkersburg, WV circa 1952

As for me, I'm recovering from foot surgery and off my feet for three weeks. I'm going to spend that time researching with the hope of hitting the ground running in September. Enjoy August in NYC or wherever you happen to be, and remember to send me the location of your favorite pocket park or any you may come across in NYC.

Pocket parks often mis-labelled

Rev. Linnette C. Williamson Memorial Park

While doing my research about pocket parks, I’ve realized many people confused small parks with pocket parks. A pocket park, by most definitions, is:

• located in the middle of a city
• often between two buildings or at the end of a street
• visible from the street
• often filled with trees and greenery
• set up with chairs, tables and/or benches to sit on
• reclaimed or private space set aside for public use

The original “vest pocket park” and the very first pocket park was the Rev. Linnette C. Williamson Memorial Park created in 1965 between two buildings on 128th St. It was developed as a way to add green open space to an area in the city that was in most need of public space. According to their website, two others were created on the same block later in the year. In 1967, Paley Park on 53rd St. and 5th Ave. in Midtown Manhattan was created to honor William S. Paley’s father, Samuel Paley.  It’s sister park, Greenacre Park located on 51st St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave., came along in 1971. This privately-owned public space was set aside for the enjoyment of the public.

These, my friends, are pocket parks, not the little bit of land next to a building on the outskirts of town. The others are still parks, but I don’t consider them vest pocket parks or pocket parks. If you disagree, I would love to hear your thoughts. Most of all, if you find any, please send me their locations. I am concentrating on New York City right now, but I plan on expanding once I write the most excellent and authoritative guide on pocket parks in New York City.