Meet Larry, Ex-Con “Birdman” of Washington Square, via a series called “No Your City” at Break.com. Larry has an intense story, for sure. He has loads of personality and flocks of friends, feathered and humans alike, at Washington Square. These friendships at the park changed his life.
Oh Dear. The Pillow Fight is Returning April 4th to WSP. Nothing against “International Pillow Fight Day” – the spirit of it is true fun – but I do wish they would move to a new spot (back to Union Square?). They say they are trying to minimize post-park effects, but, in previous years, they were not successful. This is what the park looked like after the event in 2013. (Alec Baldwin even got into a fight with the organizers about it on Twitter! He linked to the WSP Blog piece.) They ask people to bring “soft, feather-free pillows.” As of now, 34,000 people have RSVPed on Facebook. (And, no, for some reason, they do not get – or need – a permit. The one time you wish an event would need to be permitted!)
Yes, 100 year old MacDougal Street restaurant Caffe Dante closed, despite assurances the owner gave The Villager in early March (it was pretty clear what was happening there), after other media and blogs reported the upcoming closure. And, to add insult to injury(?), its new incarnation will be all uber-trendy. As a side note, last year I was invited to and attended a small gathering for bloggers and writers after the space was reconfigured to see it and try out the new menu. It seems they were trying to give it a go at that point – not sure why the plan changed.
Community Board 2 Demands Action After Woman at Former St. Vincent’s Construction Site Killed by Flying Plywood, DNAinfo. A moving account by Danielle Tcholakian about Community Board 2 Chair Tobi Bergman’s introduction of the resolution at the last full board meeting. As it turns out, Bergman knew the woman, Tram Thuy “Tina” Nguyen, who was killed. Crain’s outlined how the city’s construction code was changed three months ago to accommodate 98 mph winds but the fencing at the former St. Vincent’s site (soon to be luxury condos) was going by the 2008 code. Either they were not monitored – or at least, not closely enough – or it is up to the contractor to keep up to code.
WSP Blog note: I have a bunch of posts in the queue. Will try to post them between now and Monday/Tuesday. Check back!
Bottom photo: Cathryn