above: photo transect of journey aboard bus, then walking toward and inside of chelsea market.
we began the day walking along riverside park on the upper west side: a linear biking / running / walking path with wider areas for fields, and some pier elements that reference the industrial past of that area that has all but disappeared. saw some excellent examples of how not to do public art. we kept seeing these ghosts of piers, otherwise known as pile fields, throughout the morning as our excursions hugged the water, and one remnant gantry [industrial structure that lifted boats out of the water and tipped their contents out- i want to see one in action! will see many more of these tomorrow] wanting to see more industry- tomorrow's visits should be fun!
took the bus [photo transect no.1] to chelsea cove-
chelsea cove was beautifully designed, with a wide variety of ornamental plantings and nice use of topography to create subtle definition between outdoor rooms. the exercise class filled with lululemon-clad women tells all about the culture of that part of town.
from chelsea cove, walked to chelsea market [ see photo transect no.2 and 3] for a long relaxing lunch.
after lunch, we walked along riverside park some more, witnessing material changes and different treatments of points of access, etc., and a lot of joggers and bikers.
then, teardrop park. a gem- a compact park, packed with wonder. the entire thing references the catskills, and topography is varied, with rock paths leading up and down small and large hills, a big slide on one side of the biggest hill, integrated corten steel staircases, and the massive rock 'ice wall' that references a fault line and serves to roughly divide the site between playful, hilly area and the tipped lawn area.
then, the irish hunger memorial. there are a lot of important things that it does not say.
from there, we wandered down to battery park on the waterfront. some fragmentation between styles does occur, but overall a nice area and well-enjoyed by people. my favorite spot had lots of boulders for seating, a well-planted slope to separate waterfront from street, lots of trees, and open space. battery park has nicely integrated seat / retaining walls, a nice example of a smaller waterfront park.
chelsea cove was beautifully designed, with a wide variety of ornamental plantings and nice use of topography to create subtle definition between outdoor rooms. the exercise class filled with lululemon-clad women tells all about the culture of that part of town.
from chelsea cove, walked to chelsea market [ see photo transect no.2 and 3] for a long relaxing lunch.
after lunch, we walked along riverside park some more, witnessing material changes and different treatments of points of access, etc., and a lot of joggers and bikers.
then, teardrop park. a gem- a compact park, packed with wonder. the entire thing references the catskills, and topography is varied, with rock paths leading up and down small and large hills, a big slide on one side of the biggest hill, integrated corten steel staircases, and the massive rock 'ice wall' that references a fault line and serves to roughly divide the site between playful, hilly area and the tipped lawn area.
then, the irish hunger memorial. there are a lot of important things that it does not say.
from there, we wandered down to battery park on the waterfront. some fragmentation between styles does occur, but overall a nice area and well-enjoyed by people. my favorite spot had lots of boulders for seating, a well-planted slope to separate waterfront from street, lots of trees, and open space. battery park has nicely integrated seat / retaining walls, a nice example of a smaller waterfront park.
then, we all boarded the ferry for a special tour of governor's island with dave zelniki of west 8, with the help of lexi from the trust for governor's island. toured the historic former military area, then through the lygatt building and into the newly redesigned park! paths weave in 'petal' forms among the many trees- they planted more than could ever grow to full size, as competition among young plants allows those that will survive to climatize, along with reducing costs of planting. i imagine the proposed 'hammock grove' in its mature form will be highly popular. then we reached the hills at the southern tip of the ice cream cone -shaped island, that will rise 20 to 80 feet above the rest of the island, creating a new, dramatic, naturalistic skyline to contrast the dramatic skyline of the site's amazing views of manhattan, ellis island, the statue of liberty, brooklyn, and new jersey. there are tons of fascinating details about this project, but overall it was so exciting to see the project underway, and i look forward to watching it develop!
realized as we got off the ferry that many of us had been sunburned during the day. oops.
realized as we got off the ferry that many of us had been sunburned during the day. oops.
we then made our way to the 9/11 memorial, designed by peter walker and partners. security was very tight. after being processed at many checkpoints, one is herded through the narrow, construction-zone walkways that are lined with light blue material. my whole body started to go cold- maybe it was just the sunburn, but it was like feeling many parts of myself go still. there are not often chances for introspection and reflection in the crowded, busy city. the monument is incredibly powerful, and the fountains much deeper than i had imagined, like an endless hole. the element of water is so peaceful and fluid, and its noise softens the feeling of trying to make sense of loss and absence. the group dispersed from there.
