When I went into the city a couple of weeks ago, I was pleased to have found the parks I was looking for, but absolutely delighted to find a few new parks and plazas! That is the benefit of going into the city and searching on foot rather than driving through the streets, for example. 

Some people have asked about my process for this book since it is so very different from writing a novel. I tell them I look at it as a journalism project. I’m simply reporting what I see and digging up the history to go along with it. For the purpose of this website, the word “parks” actually refers to pocket parks, urban plazas and community gardens. It may even include indoor public atriums as this project moves forward.

 I initially find the parks by scouring various online and print sources. Since the parks, plazas and gardens are not listed in one place, this is what will probably take me the most time. If I am looking at Google Maps, for example, I look for green spaces in the satellite portion of the maps. Many time, the location is not a location listed anywhere, so after comparing it with the lists I have, I jot down the location to be explored later. When I go into the city, I map a route and take off to find the parks, making note of those I discover in my travels. I take a few photos as placeholders and for  my photographer during the photography phase, and check them off on my map while making notes about them in my notebook.

It is time-consuming, but on a day with beautiful weather, it can be a lot of fun. 


Copyright © 2011 by Rosemary O’Brien     All Rights Reserved

COLUMBUS PARK (Baxter, Mulberry, Worth and Bayard Streets)

Columbus Park, June 2011

(You may want to lower your volume. There is a lot going on in this video.)

This is one of the coolest parks I’ve come across so far. Columbus Park is located down in Chinatown and is full of activity. From the Asian Karaoke, complete with the pick-up orchestra and singers whograb the sheet music and jump in, to the people practicing martial arts in the recreational center, to the skateboarders working on their jumps by Baxter St., this park is full of activity. The day I was there, they even had one of those community pianos set up around the city being played by various passersby.

Originally built in 1897 by one of the original co-designers of Central Park, Calvert Vaux, Columbus Park began life as Mulberry Bend Park. In 1911, the Park was named Columbus Park after Christopher Columbus, obviously. Bordered by Baxter, Mulberry, Worth and Bayard Streets, today’s Columbus Park is a neighborhood hangout and, in my opinion, one of the quintessential New York City pocket parks.

If you go:

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, 65 Bayard St. It's very small, and the line may stretch out the door, but it's worth it. Where else can you get green tea ice cream or my new favorite, toasted almond?

Jing Fong Restaurant, 20 Elizabeth St. I am told this is very authentic as dim sum restaurants go. When your number is called, you go up a long escalator to find yourself in dim sum Heaven. Ladies with steam trollies go by and you choose your dumplings. Very affordable lunch.

SOURCES:

New Yorkled http://www.newyorkled.com/columbuspk.htm

NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/M015/

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.

Kickstarter Promotion Ending Soon

This is to let you know I am still taking donations for my Pocket Parks of NYC project, even if it does not get funded through Kickstarter.com this time. To donate to this most excellent project, please hit the PayPal  button to the right. Your donation will go to train fare, copy fees, postage, researchers - all of the costs necessary in the writing stage of this innovative guide to free resting spaces in NYC (and later, the world!). If you have not seen the video on the Kickstarter.com site, please view it at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/writerobrien/pocket-parks-of-nyc before August 1st, 2011.

Thank you again to all of my supporters. 

Update #5: Deadline approacheth. Tell thy friends!

I just tweeted that 66 pledges of $15 each would get me to my goal in time. Can you blast and retweet this to everyone you know? I am exploring having NYC school children making my project THEIR project by giving them community service hours, speaking to their school, even teaching them about writing.

I've approached the school district and they haven't laughed ... yet. No response, but I don't hear any laughter.

I am also planning on making this an app for smartphones and perhaps moving the entire book to Kindles and Nooks to start. An ebook is less expensive and can then be published in print later on.

Regardless, I need your pledges and your friends' pledges and your great Uncle Henry's pledges to continue, so spread the word. Help me locate and write about every pocket park, every urban plaza and every community garden in New York City. After NYC, who knows? These babies are EVERYWHERE!

Thank you for your support.

Pocket Parks of NYC: http://kck.st/lpf5OY

Rosemary