 | | What it's like to eat in the street, on 13th Street at Fifth Avenue, that is. Parsons School of Design at The New School | |
| Good morning. |
| Would you eat your lunch in a parking spot? |
| That's what Alexandra Franklin, 18, a student at the New School, and her friends were doing yesterday. |
| "It's so inviting," she said, as she snacked on pita chips and hummus near a van that advertised heating and plumbing services. "You have to race here to get a spot; it's always so crowded." |
| Ms. Franklin was referring to one of the Street Seats, a pop-up seating area converted from parking spaces that provide a bit of greenery and relief in our crowded city. The park was installed in April by the Parsons School of Design on 13th Street near Fifth Avenue. This curbside micro park is stocked with red Fermob tables and chairs, and is separated from the street by a bamboo lattice fence. |
| This summer, you can dine or decompress in 18 of these "parklets." We spent an afternoon in this one to experience what a parking-space-turned-mini-park was like. |
| In Greenwich Village, the 312-square-foot space — big enough for about two and a half cars or around 20 people to sit comfortably — was at or near capacity during most of the afternoon lunch rush. |
| The space felt intimate and, dare we say, calm, even as cars whizzed by a few feet away. The Ipe (Brazilian walnut) wood flooring, arranged like a boardwalk deck, is surrounded by bright yellow scotch broom shrubs, purple Russian sage plants and coral bells that hang in brown fabric pouches on a fence made of bamboo. Solar panels collect energy to power the park's L.E.D.s at night. |
| About 250 people a day visit this tiny park. |
| Shannon O'Hare, 27, who works in digital advertising, is a semi-regular Street Seat diner. |
| "It's so relaxing here," she said, as she settled into a seat made of bamboo. "Everyone is so friendly." |
| There are drawbacks, she said, including the odor of car fumes, construction noise, dust and bees. |
| But she wouldn't trade the park for a few extra parking spots. |
| "There's so little space to have lunch outside in the area," she said. "I just love it." |
| What do you think about giving up parking spaces for pop-up parks? Let us know in the comments. |
| Here's what else is happening: |
