Petrosino Square has nearly doubled in size. Photo: Elizabeth Press.
SoHo's Petrosino Square was one of the first places identified by the New York City Streets Renaissance as a prime candidate for pedestrian reclamation. The western edge of the square, defined by Lafayette Street, used to give way abruptly to an inexplicable expanse of asphalt. No longer. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, officials unveiled a new Petrosino. The square now extends 20 feet farther into Lafayette Street and 156 feet closer to Spring Street on the north. Stay tuned for a report from Streetfilms' Robin Urban Smith. (City Room also has a nice recap and great historical background on the square's namesake, Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, a trailblazing New York City police officer murdered by the Sicilian mafia while on assignment in Palermo, Italy 100 years ago.)
We have a few still shots for now, and some archival footage of the old Petrosino from the Streetfilms vault, featuring Streetsblog publisher Mark Gorton and Project for Public Spaces' Ethan Kent. Yes, they filmed this just four years ago:
After the jump, a shot from Robin showing the square's spiffy new bike parking.
A view of the new Petrosino from Spring Street.
http://www.livablestreets.com/people/mepstein8 Mike Epstein
Are they going to restore the bike lane on Lafayette here?
I agree Mike, we need restoration of the bike lane for the first block of Lafayette (and continue it south on Centre to Worth while you’re at it, DoT!).
This little spot is so strategically located at the epicenter of fashionable loitering that I expect 24/7 SRO conditions.
Absolutely
Just imagine if NYC continues at the rate it is going! There is no looking back.
Glenn
It would be interesting to track some vital statistics over time to see the impact like how many automobile lane miles does the city have over time…
poncho
How many other little triangular squares like this are there in NYC? I know of Herald & Christopher
http://www.jjay.cuny.edu LN
What a coincidence, tomorrow at John Jay College, there’s a symposium on Petrosino — all you ever wanted to know about him will be revealed tomorrow:
10/15/2009 2:00-5:00 PM
Admission is FREE.
Senior Vice President Robert M. Pignatello, Office of Finance & Administration
Honorable Francesco Maria Talò , Consul General of Italy in New York
Anthony J. Tamburri, Dean, The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, QueensCollege
Present
Det. Joseph Petrosino
The New Sicily: One Hundred Years After His Death
A Symposium to Celebrate His Life and Work and the Annual Italian American Heritage Day Celebration at John Jay College
Speakers include:
Dr. Pietro Grasso , Anti-mafia Chief Prosecutor
The Fight Against New Mafias: Successes and Failures
Prof. Learco Saporito, Esq., Vice President, Court of Administrative Justice and National President of the A.N.F.E.
Fr. Luigi Ciotti , President of Libera
Confiscation of Mafia Lands as Opportunity for Growth and Economic Development
Dott. Ivan Lo Bello,
President of Confindustria Sicilia
The Anti-Mafia Role of Confindustria Sicily
Prof. Marcello Saija , University of Messina
Joe Petrosino: Biography of a Heroin the Fight Against the Mafia
George Grasso, First Deputy Police Commissioner-NYPD
NYPD and its techniques to fight organized crime
Joseph Guccione, US Marshal Department of Justice, Southern District of New York
The fight against organized crime at the federal level and at the international level together with Italy
Lt. Petrosino, was an Italian immigrant who, in the early 1900’s became one of NYC’s most well-known detectives. From 1894-1909 Petrosino headed the Italian Squad, a special unit of NYPD responsible for investigating crime in the Italian communities of New York City.He was assassinated in Sicily.
Location Information:
Location Information:
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
T-Building – Haaren Hall (View Map)
899 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Room: Gerald W. Lynch Theater
http://www.livablestreets.com/people/IanD Ian Dutton
Mike (in #1): I’m almost positive that’s the plan. I’ve seen all the drawings and I’m pretty sure that I’d have noticed if the bike lane was removed. We really pushed for the park to reclaim roadbed in this project.
One thing that it appears that Parks could not get past the Art Commission was bollards. We (the CB – particularly the CB2 Parks Cmte) were very concerned about the broad, welcoming pedestrian ramp in the SE corner of the redesigned park, where Centre St. meets Kenmare (and the flood of cars trying to race from the Williamsburg Br. to the Holland Tunnel). We have misgivings that at some point we’ll see a car entering the park up that ramp, leaving a trail of destruction. And then we’ll say, “told you so.”
Petrosino Square has nearly doubled in size. Photo: Elizabeth Press.
A view of the new Petrosino from Spring Street.
