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No. 839
January 12, 2012
MidCity News
In this issue:Cellar Bar
34SP a Step Ahead on Confusing Parking Signs
34SP A Step Ahead on Confusing Parking SignsA recent news segment on WCBS-TV cut right to the heart of a problem that the 34th Street Partnership recognized years ago and did something about. In this segment, WCBS’ Mark Morgan reports that NYC Councilman Dan Garodnick is introducing a bill that would require the city to re-assess parking signs every three years in order to “help drivers decipher what they reading.” We couldn’t agree more.

We at 34SP had long believed that the city’s parking signs are difficult to read due to many factors: unfriendly fonts, over-use of capital letters, unclear abbreviations, duplication of information, and uncertain continuity between signs. The signs aren’t standardized, and they do not present information hierarchically (i.e., they don’t emphasize the truly important stuff). These problems make drivers unsure as to just where to park, and that confusion leads to costly, and totally unnecessary, parking tickets.

To address the problem, our design team led by Ignacio Ciocchini designed and developed a Parking Regulation Sign System (PRSS) in 2007 that addressed each of the issues. The PRSS delivers clear, concise, and  consistent messages. The system is also flexible enough to create custom signs for each location. It even won two awards: a 2008 Jury Award from the Society for Environmental Graphic Design and a 2007 Downtown Achievement Award from the International Downtown Association. Last year, we introduced signs from this system into the Chelsea Improvement Company’s area of operation.  

We hope that Councilman Garodnick’s measure passes and, well, if the city wants some pointers on how to make better signs, we’re always here.  

Cast Your Vote for BP Water Bottle
Cast Your Vote for BP Water BottleWe need your help again. We want to add a Bryant Park-branded water bottle to the inventory at Bryant Park Shop, our online emporium for quality merchandise designed to bring the elegance of New York’s most beautiful park right into your own home. BPC Urban Designer Neha Sabnis has created five design concepts for the bottle, and we need to whittle that number down to one; that’s where you come in.

Visit the Bryant Park blog, peruse the five contenders, and make your choice. The bottles are manufactured by Klean Kanteen and the designs on the bottles were inspired by park features, our logo, water, or a combination thereof. After the voting, Ms. Sabnis will develop the final design based on your favorites.  

Remember, Bryant Park Shop’s ever-growing inventory includes T-shirts, hats, genuine Bryant Park chairs, Bryant Park subway signs and much more. Make sure you browse through the Bryant Park Library, where you‘ll find books that inspired us, or that feature the park prominently.     

Avian Guests Winter at Bryant Park
Avian Guests Winter at Bryant ParkBryant Park’s Birding Tours are timed for the spring and autumn migration seasons, so we are currently between engagements. But that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening at the park, ornithology-wise. In fact, according Corey Finger at the 10,000 Birds blog, this has been a terrific winter for spotting species at Bryant Park.  

In an entry titled The Amazing Birds of Bryant Park, Finger writes that several fine specimens have put up stakes at BP for the winter, including two Yellow Breasted Chats, (at least) two Ovenbirds, several Gray Catbirds (pictured), and most impressively, a Lincoln’s Sparrow. That last one is a major “get” for NYC birders in the winter. All of this during what has become a busy time of year at BP, with Citi Pond, the Holiday Shops, and Le Carrousel operating daily. The article also mentions that Ben Cacace has been one of the main bird-spotters. Mr. Cacace, an employee of the New York Public Library, is a regular at our birding tours.

Bryant Park Birding Tours, led by Gabriel Willow of the Audubon Society, resume on April 9 and will run every Monday morning and Thursday afternoon through May 24.    

34SP/BPC Alumnus to Head Queens BID
34SP/BPC Alumnus to Head Queens BIDA news item in the Queens Gazette on December 28 caught our attention. The article announced that Seth Taylor, former Maintanance Manager at 34SP and BPC, has been named Executive Director of the 82nd Street Business Improvement District (BID) in Jackson Heights.

Mr. Taylor brings a load of experience in urban management to the job. After performing yeoman work here, he brought his talents to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, then to the Union Square Partnership. Considering these three positions, at three different BIDs, he had his hand in almost all aspects of BID activity. We congratulate Mr. Taylor, and salute the 82nd Street BID for making an excellent choice. Good luck, Seth!      

Artisanal Eyesore Takes Honors at Ugly Sweater Contest 
Artisanal Eyesore Takes Honors at Ugly Sweater ContestThe old adage “If you want something done right, do it yourself” apparently applies when discussing ugly sweaters. Just ask Linda Kozik of Long Beach, NY, because her homemade abomination took home the gold at the first ever Ugly Sweater Contest at the Southwest Porch in Bryant Park.

There were 49 worthy entries, but fans of BP’s Facebook page agreed that Linda’s was the least aesthetically pleasing of all of them. And just ponder this: her victory happened at the same place where models once strode down catwalks in the most fashionable apparel imaginable!  

Linda won a pair of tickets on Southwest Air for her efforts, but everyone who attended had a good time downing Grinch cocktails brewed up by ’wichcraft, munching on snacks, and comparing sweaters. Keep checking in on the BP blog for more contests at the Porch in Winter ’12.  

Citi Pond and Celsius Open Until February 26
Citi Pond and Celsius Open Until February 26The holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean the winter fun will stop at Bryant Park. For the second year in a row, Citi Pond, the city’s only free-admission public skating rink, will remain open daily through the last Sunday in February. That goes for Celsius, the rink side restaurant-bar, as well. Citi Pond’s hours are 8:00-am-10:00pm, Sunday-Thursday and 8:00am-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Celsius is open daily from noon-10:00pm, Sunday-Wednesday and noon-midnight Thursday-Saturday.      

The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineWow! From Christmas Eve through January 1, we counted an average of 2,649 people at Bryant Park at 1:00pm. The average 6:00pm count for the same period was 2,321 – and that included one rainy evening on December 27. Our highest totals came on the day after Christmas, Monday, December 26, when we counted 3,766 at 1:00pm and 3,435 at 6:00pm.  

Bryant Park
Daily Amenities
Le Carrousel
   Sunday-Thursday: 11:00am-9:00pm
   Friday-Saturday: 11:00am-10:00pm
The Southwest Porch
   Monday-Saturday: 12:00pm-11:00pm
   Sunday: 12:00pm-7:00pm
         
Ongoing Programs
Citi Pond at Bryant Park
   Sunday-Thursday: 8:00am-10:00pm
   Friday & Saturday: 8:00am-midnight
Celsius
   Sunday-Wednesday: 12:00pm-10:00pm
   Thursday-Saturday: 12:00pm-midnight
Bruce D. Gittlin, Chairman 34th Street Partnership | Michael Fuchs, Chairman Bryant Park Corporation | Adam Goldenberg, L. Robert Lieb & Clyde E. Rankin, III, Co-Chairmen Bryant Park Management Corp. | Daniel A. Biederman, President 34th Street Partnership, Bryant Park Management Corp., Executive Director Bryant Park Corporation
1065 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2400 New York, NY 10018 | Tel 212.719.3434 | Fax 212.719.3499

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