Well, yes, the fountain was turned on at the end of last week.
It is still (side) plume-less (I was wondering if that would be the case) but it is on! When Phase I of the park’s redesign opened in 2009, four years ago this week, the fountain debuted with side plumes (or side jets) around its perimeter … they’ve been up and down, on and off – mostly off – for the last two years.
The fountain has been in the park since around 1870 when it was moved from 5th Avenue and 59th Street (Central Park?) to Washington Square. Before the park’s redesign — which entailed the Bloomberg Admin’s decision to move the fountain 22 feet east to “align” with the Arch — the prior structure lasted 80 years. The fountain is wonderful but those side plumes made it just a bit nicer.
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Photo: Tom Martinez.
Also, of note — Photographer Tom Martinez who took this shot is beginning Photo Workshop Walking Tours of locations across the city, including Washington Square Park. These photo walks and workshops are “designed to instruct you in the use of the manual controls of your camera. [They’ve] chosen spectacular locations in Brooklyn and the New York City area for you to test out your new skills.” Instructions in these “Switch to Manual” photography workshops are given by Tom and his partner Antonio Rosario during two to four hours along the way at the designated spot. Other locations include Coney Island, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It sounds great.