Hello there :) This will be another entry dedicated to New York - it’s all about the west side this time. But before we get there…
Read something
I finished reading Subtract by Leidy Klotz, a book about humans’ innate hesitancy to consider subtraction when making decisions. While the book isn’t about urban design per se, it gives multiple examples of using (or avoiding) subtraction in city planning and architecture.
Some of the examples are specific, such as removal of the Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco or redesign of Town Branch Commons park in Lexington, KY. Others are focused on general concepts, such as induced demand.
The book is a light read, for the most part. It’s ideal when you don’t want something too mentally demanding but still have enough brainpower to think and a desire to learn something new.
Saw something
Back to New York! This past weekend we paid an unexpected visit to The Little Island, a floating oasis inside Hudson River Park.
I remember when it opened a little over a year ago - its unique design immediately turned it into a top destination. Since it was too crowded, we didn’t go in back then and just looked at it from the outside.That was still half of the experience :)
This past weekend though, we went on a morning run in Hudson River Park. As we were passing by the island, we noticed that there were few very people there. The park was also open to enter (no reservation necessary before 12pm), so we ended up running inside it.
The experience was perfect and the spontaneity of it made it even better.
The park’s stunning design goes hand in hand with accessibility - the gradual incline and the winding of the paths allows wheelchairs to go up and down smoothly (makes it easier to run up too).
On the train ride back, I was reading more about the park’s conception and construction. It was a hectic process - years of delays, cancellations, ballooned costs, and lawsuits. Was it worth it? I hope so.
Walked somewhere
We dedicated the weekend to exploring the lower west side of New York, including Chelsea, West Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo, and Tribeca neighborhoods. We walked 10th Ave, 9th Ave, Hudson St, Greenwich St, Washington St and went to the High Line, Rockefeller Park and, as mentioned above, Hudson River Park + The Little Island.
One of the noteworthy places we walked by is 555 Hudson St, former Jane Jacobs home. The building is very inconspicuous and is easy to miss, but there’s a plaque dedicated to her there.
The plaque reads:
Jane Jacobs
May 4, 1916 - April 25, 2006
The author and urbanist bought this 1842 row house in 1947 and remained until 1968. While here, Jacobs helped lead successful campaigns to ban cars from Washington Square, to defeat Robert Moses' planned Lower Manhattan Expressway, and to stop his plans for “urban renewal" demolition in West Village. She wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities while living here.
Plaque placed by Village Preservation
We also walked by several places that Jacobs mentions in her books, one of which is the White Horse Tavern right near her home. Fun fact: the tavern is still here today and is the second oldest bar in New York (opened in 1880s).
That’s all for the second New York weekend! Thank you for reading and until next time ❤️