October 28, 2008 No Comments Yet
October 6, 2008 No Comments Yet
I love my neighborhood, but where do I sit?
Have you noticed more parents with young children, more senior citizens, and more people who work at home on the Upper West Side than ever before? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were more outdoor seating so that when we aren’t on the run we can sit outside and enjoy a coffee, a book, or a friend? Benches, like the stoops people used to sit on, draw us to the streets; eyes on the streets make communities safer and more cohesive.
Today, just about our only outdoor benches are at the Broadway Mall intersections, in small parks like Verdi and Straus Parks, and along the edges of Riverside and Central Parks. They are almost always occupied, even in winter, even in the middle of heavy traffic. But there are no public benches on the side streets and along the avenues where most of us walk.
Manhattan is a great place to live because so much is going on and we can get to nearby destinations on foot. It’s easy for most people to walk around the corner for groceries, meals, a movie, and just about anything else. But the corner can seem miles and miles away to people who move slowly because of age or infirmity and a walk without rest is enough to keep some people indoors. For others, our parks are sometimes too far away for a short break or to take a small child or an aged parent who needs some time in the fresh air.
And here’s a final thought. On streets with narrow sidewalks, how about taking away a parking place or two and replacing them with benches on extended sidewalks? A lost parking space would be a small price to pay to sit outdoors on a nice day.
Manhattan is a great place to live because so much is going on and we can get to nearby destinations on foot. It’s easy for most people to walk around the corner for groceries, meals, a movie, and just about anything else. But the corner can seem miles and miles away to people who move slowly because of age or infirmity and a walk without rest is enough to keep some people indoors. For others, our parks are sometimes too far away for a short break or to take a small child or an aged parent who needs some time in the fresh air.
And here’s a final thought. On streets with narrow sidewalks, how about taking away a parking place or two and replacing them with benches on extended sidewalks? A lost parking space would be a small price to pay to sit outdoors on a nice day.
If you agree that the Upper West Side would be a better place with more outdoor public seating, then talk it up. Good things happen when enough people want them. Tell your neighbors, the Community Board, and our local legislators. Benches on the avenues and side streets would be a great civic improvement at a relatively low cost. It’s worth trying in a few places to start with, just to see how it works.
