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history of park’s redesign plan

The Merry Mounds at Washington Square Park

December 27, 2022

Happy Holidays! This holiday video is set to Karen Carpenter’s “Sleigh Ride” and highlights kids sledding and frolicking in the snow in December 2008 on Washington Square Park’s old Mounds. It illustrates how the structures, … Read more…

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Flashback: Before the Redesigned Fountain Plaza Opened

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021

This site started initially covering the contentious redesign of Washington Square Park just after construction began on the project in late 2007. Meetings – and community outrage – addressing the plans took place over many … Read more…

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The Skeletons of Washington Square

October 12, 2021

It’s That Time of Year Again 20,000 Bodies are Buried Underneath this Park This time of year seems to rile up and unearth the dead bodies beneath Washington Square Park. It is believed up to … Read more…

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Spring Washington Square: A Snapshot of the Latest at the Park

May 21, 2021May 20, 2021

Happy Spring at Washington Square Park! Following is a pictorial with some editorial of recent issues at the square. So many trees have died around the fountain plaza and WSP Blog has covered this repeatedly. … Read more…

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A Look Back: Washington Square Park After Redesign Began 13 Years Ago

December 31, 2020December 31, 2020

Construction on the controversial redesign plan for Washington Square Park pushed through by Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration got underway — after delays due to the community envisioning something else for their park — between Christmas … Read more…

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From the Archives: “Merry Mounds” Video Washington Square Park & Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2020

A must watch! This holiday video set to Karen Carpenter’s “Sleigh Ride” highlights kids sledding and frolicking in the snow on the old Mounds at Washington Square Park in December 2008 before their remodeling. It … Read more…

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12 Years of Washington Square Park Blog: A Snapshot in Photos

February 26, 2020

The original tagline of Washington Square Park Blog, which published its first post twelve years ago today, was: “the chronicles of a beloved park and a city government overcome by its own power.” This blog … Read more…

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Study: Irregularly Shaped Parks Associated With Lower Mortality Risk

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

– Updated – Part of the contentious aspect of the redesign of Washington Square Park (late 2007 – 2014) as designed by the Bloomberg Administration, against community wishes, was about the plan’s focus on “alignment” … Read more…

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#FBF: Washington Square Park Fountain Plaza May 2010

September 27, 2019

This is a flashback from 2010 of the Washington Square Park Fountain Plaza. You can see to the right – east – Phase II construction is going on. Phase I of the redesign construction, including … Read more…

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Flashback: Contractor Confirms Washington Square Fountain is not “Aligned” with Park’s Arch After All #FBF

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019
washington square park redesign arch fifth avenue

During Controversial Washington Square Park Redesign, This Came to Light — From the WSP Blog Archive It was allegedly about “aligning” the Washington Square Park fountain to the Arch at Fifth Avenue, and so, after … Read more…

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Will Current Lawn Restoration Project be the Death of Washington Square Park’s Trees? – Part I

September 26, 2019August 12, 2019

In July, fencing went up at Washington Square Park barricading the Northwest lawn, adorned with signs with Washington Square Park Conservancy logos on them stating “Lawn Restoration Work Ongoing” and pointing to a page on … Read more…

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50 Years Since Groundbreaking Ceremony Heralding 1969 Renovation of Washington Square Park

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

NYC Mayor John Lindsay Attended; Contrast with Recent Bloomberg-Era Redesign Process The 1969 renovation of Washington Square Park was completed with the architects asking for – and including – a significant amount of community input … Read more…

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ICYMI: Eyewitness News Report – Public Hearing on Reburial of Human Remains Back into Washington Square Park

June 12, 2019

 Last week, Community Board 2 held a “public hearing” on the NYC Parks Department’s plans to rebury “human remains” dug up during the park’s redesign construction back into Washington Square Park. We covered what … Read more…

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A Look Back: Sledding on the Washington Square Park Mounds as Seen in “Merry Mounds” Video

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018

An annual holiday must watch! Scenes Prior to Park’s Redesign The “Merry Mounds” video, set to Karen Carpenter’s “Sleigh Ride,” features kids sledding and frolicking in the snow on the old Mounds at Washington Square … Read more…

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NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver Takes Play out of Adrian Benepe Handbook at Fort Greene Park Leading to Lawsuit

May 25, 2018May 24, 2018

Community Push Back Against Redesign, Claim of Dying Trees; Similar to Washington Square Park Contentious Redesign Plan There are similarities ten years on between what is going on now with De Blasio Parks Department’s unwelcome … Read more…

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Key Posts over the Years


Exitus Acta Probat: The Washington Square Arch

Phase I Opens! May 2009

NYC's Redesign Plans for Washington Square Park

Washington Square 6 A.M. Fall 2011

NBC News Reports on This Blog's Report of Trees Repeatedly Dying Around the Fountain

Actually, Mr. Vellonakis, the Washington Square Fountain is Already Aligned

The Shell Game: On NYU 2031 Expansion Plan

New Happenings On West 8th Street

Neighborhood Spotlight: Think Coffee on Mercer Street

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For my Activist Friends

Realize that little things lead to bigger things ... And there's a wonderful parable in the New Testament: The sower scatters seeds. Some seeds fall in the pathway and get stamped on, and they don't grow. Some fall on the rocks, and they don't grow. But some seeds fall on fallow ground, and they grow and multiply a thousandfold. Who knows where some good little thing that you've done may bring results years later that you never dreamed of. ~ Pete Seeger

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Series on misrepresentations and evasions by Parks Department & WSP Conservancy to push this private entity through: Private Conservancy Watch This organization does not run or manage the park.

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