Chill in the Park

Gothamist loves city parks, and we might love sleeping even more, so we were pretty intrigued by the Times story about public "lounge chairs" in various parks in the city. Since New Yorkers are more (!) civilized (!) than (!) ever (!), the city - and the landscape architects it works with - finds it easier to put more lounge-like park outdoor furniture out there. Formerly, residents didn't even want benches, for fear of loitering people or homeless camping out, but nowadays, it's more palatable. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe explains why these chairs will only be seen in certain parks, "When you think of a chaise longue, you think of a beach or the waterfront. It's a type of furniture that fits more into a modernist landscape than in a traditional landscape." So none in Central Park - you'll still need to bring your blankets for the Sheep Meadow. One of the chairs is this "Chill" lounge from Landscape Forms (but in blue); three are at the ferry terminal. And there are plans to put glow in the dark "sculptural lounges" at the federal plaza!

Thomas Balsley is a landscape architect who has been working put make the parks even more friendly and inviting - he's done work at the West Midtown Ferry Terminal, Riverside Park South, and the Jacob Javits Center.