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Brad Hoylman to Run for Manhattan Borough President

August 20, 2020

Brad Hoylman, former three-term chair of local Community Board 2 who went on to become New York State Senator, a position he currently holds, has announced plans for a 2021 run for Manhattan Borough President. … Read more…

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Washington Square Redesigner/Admin George Vellonakis has Left the Building – What Will This Mean for the Park?

June 27, 2020June 26, 2020

Vellonakis Set to Officially Retire in the Fall George Vellonakis, the landscape designer placed in charge of the Bloomberg Administration’s controversial redesign of Washington Square Park, later hired in 2017 to be the park’s publicly … Read more…

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Washington Square Park Private Conservancy on Agenda of Community Board Meeting Wednesday, June 3rd

June 2, 2020June 1, 2020

Washington Square Park private conservancy continues to assert itself to take over more and more turf from the city’s Parks Department – the public entity which actually runs and manages the park and has done … 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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New Seating Installed Near Garibaldi Statue | Washington Square Park

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019

Installed to “Discourage Skateboarding” – Paid for by private entity New seating – in the form of “bistro tables” – was installed last week next to Garibaldi Statue at Washington Square Park. The purpose of … Read more…

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Private Washington Square Park Conservancy Subject of Community Board Meeting Wed. March 6th

March 6, 2019March 4, 2019

Updated – March 6, 2019 This “Murky” Private Organization Does not run this Greenwich Village park – Dubious Beginning Above: Justine Leguizamo, Veronica Bulgari, Gwen Evans, Elizabeth “Betsey” Ely, 2013 In early 2014, after Washington … Read more…

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Get Your Yoga, Tai Chi, Tango & More at Washington Square Park This Summer – With a Dose of Privatization Watch Thrown in for Good Measure!

July 24, 2018

Fitness, dance and self-improvement classes at Washington Square Park began in early June/July this year and you can still join in through mid-September! All classes are free. Schedule follows. Read on for some privatization-related controversy … Read more…

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Upcoming Comm. Board Meeting on Washington Square Park Conservancy June 6, Location | Some History

May 31, 2018May 31, 2018

[Updated] Is Private Group Taking Over More Turf at Park Despite Public Claims ? A location has been announced by Community Board 2 for the upcoming June meeting with discussion and an update on Washington … Read more…

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Washington Sq Park Private Conservancy Will be Focus of Community Board Meeting June 6

May 22, 2018May 22, 2018

” Unlike NYC’s privatized parks, Washington Square Park continues to be run by the city Parks Department, and has been for years, but park is at risk of undue private influence Updated 7:30 p.m. – … Read more…

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Washington Square Park to be Discussed First Meeting Jan. 2018 Comm Bd 2 Parks Committee

January 3, 2018December 29, 2017

In June of 2017, Washington Square Park was on the Community Board 2 Parks Committee meeting agenda after a long absence. Also on the agenda was the (controversial) private Washington Square Park Conservancy. At that … Read more…

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NY Times: “Top Down Parks Department Remake” of Washington Square Leading to “Slow Diminishment” of Park

October 11, 2017October 11, 2017

“When cities rely on private donors, we end up with sterile, controlled environments,” states the preface to a recent New York Times Op Ed, How Parks Lose Their Playfulness. The piece delves into the redesign … Read more…

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Vanishing NY Book Covers Washington Square Park Controversies Including Moving of Fountain, Hot Dog Vendors, Chronicled at this Blog

August 13, 2017August 13, 2017

Updated Vanishing New York, the book, released late last month, is a more thought-out, expanded version of the Vanishing New York blog, run by Jeremiah Moss since 2007. The blog has been popular from its … Read more…

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Park User: “Make this Conservancy Fully Transparent”

July 23, 2017July 16, 2017

Updated – I’ve noted at this blog how the community around Washington Square fought back against a typical private conservancy model at the iconic park for years, choosing for the historic public space to remain … Read more…

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CB2 to Discuss Washington Sq Park and Conservancy After Long Delay Wed. June 7

June 4, 2017June 3, 2017

Updated – It’s been over a year since any information has been relayed to the public about Washington Square Park Conservancy: updates on the private organization’s “activities” were supposed to come before Community Board 2 … Read more…

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Your Support of Washington Square Park Blog Matters More Than Ever

May 23, 2017May 23, 2017

Washington Square Park Blog began over nine years ago with the intention of chronicling the redesign of Washington Square Park. Although the contentious redesign of the park and its construction is mostly complete (the sidewalk … Read more…

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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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