Streetfilm: The Transformation of Meat Market Plaza
The past few weeks, we've kept an eye on the rapid progress of Gansevoort Plaza in the Meatpacking District. Lest we forget about its slightly older neighbor to the north, Meat Market Plaza, Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson, Jr. cut together this short video capturing the site (Ninth Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets) before, during, and after construction. The project was completed last fall and is enjoying copious use with the advent of spring.
Clarence hopes to give other street transformations similar treatment, and he expects to keep busy doing it:
With announcements from city agencies coming fast and furious, Streetfilms will attempt to document what we can during this on-going renaissance for pedestrians, cyclists and denizens of NYC. This is not only important for our city, but to show the rest of the world the incredible leaps being attempted here. Heck, there’s no better tool to inspire change than a well-edited, before & after video short.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
We are supposedly the "Capital of the World" and this half-baked measure is the best we can do? Pathetic. Trees that will die soon, overbaked flowers and a few miserable seats inbetween gridlocked traffic?
Have we become so beholden to the NIMBY CB's and to the political process in NYC that we hold this up as a success? Look to London, Oslo, Paris and other worldwide capitals that have made major strides to taking back the streets.
Have we become so accustomed to the lies of Brodsky and the non-actions of politicians like the pathetic Glick that we have to hail this as a success?
We deserve more as citizens of what should be the greatest city on earth, but which is far from it at this point. God save us all.
Comment by Dave — April 25, 2008 @ 11:51 pm | Link
Dave,
Geeez, chill out!! Things happen in steps. This is but one first step of many to come...
I guess you would rather have it the way it was before? You are wrong, It is a success.
Don't worry, give NYC 10 years maybe it will look like some of those other cities, but remember those didn't happen overnight either...incrementalism....
Comment by Lars — April 26, 2008 @ 2:29 am | Link
Seconded-- more important than the plaza itself is the change in priorities that it demonstrates. The city will slowly awaken to the possibilities of its public places as they are transformed one by one.
Comment by Drew — April 26, 2008 @ 3:04 pm | Link
It's the PLASTIC flower pots that are driving me crazy,couldn't they have got something a little better?
Comment by so chic darling — April 26, 2008 @ 7:29 pm | Link
As much as it may help calm traffic I can't help but wonder who would ever want to sit out in the middle of all that traffic.
Comment by Stacy — April 27, 2008 @ 10:34 pm | Link
Stacy,
Funny, that is what people said before it went in but here it is in full use. I have been by there almost every day the past week, it is difficult to even find a chair!
People in NYC love public space, and they need lots more.
Comment by Clarence — April 27, 2008 @ 11:57 pm | Link
Clarence,
I've seen what people will do for a seat on the subway. I guess the same applies to any semi-comfortable looking surface in public space
Comment by Stacy — April 28, 2008 @ 12:03 am | Link
I had no idea Streetsblog had emoticons enabled. I'd better watch my use of parentheses and colons!
Comment by Stacy — April 28, 2008 @ 12:07 am | Link
Stacy,
I have eaten a lunchtime meal sitting off a curb and once crosslegged on a sidewalk, and I know from my daily travels I am not the only one. So I'd definitely eat just about anywhere I could find a reasonable chair.
Also think about many sidewalk cafes aren't that far from speeding traffic. And at least when cars get to Meat Packing Plaza they are going much slower than they used to.
Emoticons: wow I guess they must also work on Streetfilms! I should have known that.
Look at that!
Comment by Clarence — April 28, 2008 @ 1:05 am | Link
Short and sweet! Nice film, even if all of Manhattan hasn't yet been pedestrianized
Comment by Ethan — April 28, 2008 @ 9:28 am | Link
Over the weekend the city put down rubber "bathmat" traffic lines on the "Plaza" over the cobble stone. It makes it more car centric than it was before. And the pedestrian areas like islands in the sea. Gansevoort plaza now looks crowded.
And what's up with calling it Plaza? We libe in NY and we have Squares...Times, Sheridan, Madison? Hello? Is anything really putting any thought into this?
Comment by roland — April 28, 2008 @ 10:39 am | Link