Gothamist: Presenting Bryant Park, Sponsored By...

Jim

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 13:31:49 -0500

B'sillis Vertease, it's a public park managed by a private not-for-profit. The land is still owned by the public. From the above link: "Bryant Park Restoration Corporation (BPRC) is a not-for-profit, private management company and a cooperating business improvement district of neighboring property owners. [...] It is the largest effort in the nation to apply private management backed by private funding to a public park, and it has been a success with public, press, and nearby institutions."

B'sillis Vertease

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 16:44:15 -0500

Bryant Park is NOT a public park--look around and you will not see the parks dept. logo anywhere there. It's a private-public partnership, which reframes the issue, somewhat.

pugsley

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:46:00 -0500

Free WiFi and movies are good for Bryant Park. The line between sponsorship was crossed though when union square and madison square sold out park space for restauranteurs who claim to set up shop for the benefit of "the children." It's only a matter of time before the fuckers try to set up snack shops in tompkins and washington square. Bulldoze the Shake Shack.

John

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:14:48 -0500

I'm with the majority on this one. Yes it's a drag when you want to sit on the grass but the Fashion Week tents are in the way. On the other hand the grass is new and the lawn resodded after the event. BP got redesigned and rebuilt by the corporate sponsors of the NYPL. It's kept up because the surrounding commercial properties are taxed to fund Dan Biederman and the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation, that's the way a BID works. It's their rent-a-cops, not NYC's finest that keep the pushers away. It's their planners who come up with merry-go-rounds, Wi-Fi and free newspapers, not the Parks Department. If Dan keeps his tax low and is able to increase services by pulling in $4.2 million from rentals, I'd say BPRC is doing a great job. (If the corps are paying enough for the priviledge different debate)

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:11:58 -0500

Anyone interested in the history of Bryant Park or other information about it should look at the park's official website: http://www.bryantpark.org/

mark

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 12:20:50 -0500

bryant park is safer because the city / police cleaned it up, not because a bunch of corporations have sponsored events. obviously, they're doing it because the park is already safe. if corporations are going to utilize public land (which i don't think they should do), i hope that they pay through the nose for it. otherwise, it's simply free advertising.

Sammy k

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 11:11:47 -0500

I'm right there with these guys.....BP is doing well and ice skating there on your lunch hour ROCKS!!!! I'm all for what they've got going on. Enough complaining and more enjoying, people.

Tim Morris

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 11:09:53 -0500

15-20 years ago, Bryant Park was positively dangerous; now in the summer it is a benign sea of sunbathing laptoppers. People are eating lunch, playing chess, reading free library books and magazines, and generally not mugging or beating one another. Something has been done right.

Sean

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 10:27:35 -0500

I agree completely. Unfortunately, in this city there often times seems to be a knee-jerk oposition to anything resembling private/corporate funds being anywhere near parks. (Example: The "community group" getting up in arms for the restaurant plan that would have immensely spruced up the north side of Union Square, and given folks a beautiful place to enjoy a drink or a meal.)

Johnie

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 10:05:13 -0500

I agree with the above. There are enough events for the general public. The gravy is that the taxpayers don't even have to pay for it. The summer movie series is great. Let's put it this way. Would you rather a park that offers these free events at no cost to you or would you rather increase taxes to pay for a park that has no events?

see you on the ice

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 09:33:07 -0500

I'm all for it. I've been to Bryant Park more times in this past week than I have the 11 months leading up to it. According to the NYT article, Bryant Park doesn't receive any public money- yet many of the services offered are for the public. Sure, there are bound to be events that won't be accessible to the general public, but why not appreciate what is being offered? Free wireless, movies during the summer, skating during the winter- take advantage, instead of taking shots.