Comments Archive

Our website is a digital space for collaboration about physical space. We invite you to participate  in the creation of knowledge designed to secure greater public use of New York City’s 525 or so POPS, those zoning-created plazas, arcades, and other outdoor and indoor privately owned public spaces. Here is an archive of comments from visitors like you.

Rose L. on 300 Mercer Street:
300 Mercer POPS: This POPS is actually where I spend most of my 15min breaks from work. I’m usually eating an apple on one of the concrete circle benches. The building it’s attached to is uninteresting, but the NYU buildings surrounding make the space a bit cozier. This space acts more of a place for passing through than hanging out for very long. The benches are concrete, and the seats dip in an awkward way—making them uncomfortable. I find it interesting that the visually nicer seating, the benches along the rows of shrubs, is in fact least comfortable. There is no back support for those who want to sit in the area closest to nature. Those backless benches are also oriented in the plaza amongst the foliage giving them a nook-like quality, which, in my opinion, is an important quality of a public space. I can however see that you may run into problems in designing secluded areas for public spaces. It’s foremost a safety hazard, and I suppose POPS are vaguely in support of creating community in semi-“natural” settings. On the other hand, I think it’s also very important to consider public spaces and POPS and how many of them serve as homes for people without. In this sense, I think it’s crucial that these spaces include more sheltering designs than concrete, minimalist layouts. It’s also somewhat insane to me that there’s a zoning law saying that public plazas cannot be located within 175 feet from each other. Public space is being lost as NYC continues to grow, and this is especially scary when many of these artificially “natural” spaces actually are actually considered “green” spaces in the city. Because these public spaces are limited by location, and it’s not like NYC has space to expand outwards, I think it’s dangerous to set restrictions for where they can be, as well as have such a low minimum requirement for quantity of trees per space. If we’re going to set restrictions for how many of these public spaces we can have, we should at least design them to their fullest potential, and I think that starts with vibrant and diverse landscape planning. And hopefully in the near future green roofs will be able to serve as public spaces and parks for urban environments.
Miri on 9 West 57th Street:
Walking down West 58th Street, not far from 5th Avenue, one is quickly absorbed in a seeming oasis of warm light as sidewalk opens up along wide travertine arcade, complimented by a Joan Miró and some greenery. On a windy Wednesday afternoon, the site is mostly empty. Passersby observe the statue, few stop, most proceed through the space without seeming to recognize its presence. Neglected, it seems. The site offers a variety of places to sit and rest, surely it must be the weather that has driven people away. This particular site can be found on the POPS map created by Advocates for Privately Owned Public Space and the Municipal Art Society of New York. However, it is unclear whether or not the space actually qualifies as public. Certainly the space fulfills the tenets of the POPS program, if those are understood to be openness, accessibility, safety, and the provision of a place to rest. Yet, a lack of signage makes the legal status of the space quite ambiguous. There are no physical barriers restricting public access to the site, but there is no assurance of one’s belonging. The belonging of the tenants of the curtain wall monolith that looms overhead is easily assumed; but as a member of the general public, there is a certain precarity to occupying the space. Openness is not welcoming, after all. It is not as if the site is unable to host a handful of notices assuring public access. Numerous travertine columns ensure that there is ample space for proper signage, if the site is indeed an official POPS. A couple of signs do hang in the arcade, one asserting that the bike rack–one of few amenities offered by the site–is strictly for tenant use, warning of the presence of security cameras, which seems to aim to prevent the wrong people from locking their bikes more so than to discourage the theft of the rightful bikes. While a lack of signage introduces ambiguity to the space, the reigning curtain wall asserts the precarious position of the public within the space. At the ground level, the curtain wall contributes to a sense of surveillance. While the ground floor gallery space and lobby give some hint of accessibility, there is certainly to transcendence of the explicit barrier between what is outside and what is within. In this dynamic there seems to exist a kind of two way surveillance; not ideal, but not necessarily unfair. Beyond the first floor of the building, this sense of surveillance intensifies immensely. The slope of the building prevents pedestrians from any sense of access to the upper floors of the building via their sidewalk view. Furthermore, it presents a site of power that seems to retreat into itself, drawing back its lines, strengthening and surveiling from within. It may be a beautiful building, and its arcade may be a beautiful site, but the sense of ambiguity and precarity that it promotes would seem to defeat the purpose of any public space, whether privately owned or not.
Kira on 1991 Broadway | Bel Canto:
The POPS at 1991 Broadway at 70th street is a space that in recent years as fallen to the wayside, running parallel to its faltering neighborhood. Many shops and restaurants in this neighborhood have been forced to close in recent years, leaving vacant, ugly space. These spaces are visible from the street with their clear, wide windows framing their dirty interiors, the giant FOR RENT signs trying to block out the public accessibility to know more about the space. The POPS feels similar. It is easily accessible to the public- it is not hidden or disguised as a business. Although, several years ago, it did have a Chinese take-out station, which and discouraged homeless loiterers, and made it seem as though you had to buy their food to sit there. The POPS feels very isolated with its floor to ceiling windows and awkward shape. It doesn't have a purpose without these small businesses producing foot traffic. The space produces echoes, making it an unpleasant place for a pedestrian to rest. I do not see people passing through who are not homeless, although the tables and chairs provided do look ample enough to nap in, so I think the city is doing that community a favor to rest in a safe space without hassle. It has lots of natural light, although the 6 trees inside are withering away. It's not clear to me who takes care of the building, locking it up at night, making sure it is clean at all times. I do know it is own by luxury condominium Bel Canto, but I didn't see anyone associated with the building while I was there. The space is easy to find and was accessible for a wheel chair or a stroller. The floor to ceiling windows provide transparency, natural light, and safety to this small space. There is no feeling of being left out despite the glass. It is an absolute space-open, immersive, and solid. As a relational space, it is almost a private oasis. One can sit peacefully, yet can also be gawked at from the sidewalk and on display. It is a relative space because people can pass in and out at their leisure, and it seems to follow a similar structure changing as the neighborhood does. The space could be important for the neighborhoods residents in the future. Potentially, this could be a great POPS that anyone could use.
Holly E on 1251 Sixth Avenue:
1251 is situated in the heart of Midtown Manhattan between 49th and 50th street on the west side of 6th Avenue. The infamous Radio City Music Hall stands across the street, drawing not only the plethora of businessmen to Midtown, but the passing tourists as well, to rest in the plaza. The plaza is tightly pushed between the many residing skyscrapers which are occupied by numerous offices. The plaza stretches across the pavement at almost 30,000 square feet. The majority of the square footage is occupied by a large pool of water, with a bursting fountain in the center. On the sides that lie parallel to 49th and 50th street sit bright green rows of trees with waterproof plants planted in the planters. Although there is no direct benches, seating is available on the edges of the planters and fountain. Being a very flat surface, with no stairs, it is wheelchair accessible. The mixture of people situated at the fountain was various. Although the majority were businessmen rushing back to the office on their lunchbreak, tourists, construction workers, street food venders, and possibly one or two local residents occupied the space. I found the many construction workers a bit ironic. Visibly, the surrounding space is already extremely built, both outwardly and upwards, what else could they be doing? The green in comparison to the tall artificial buildings offered a stark glaring contrast. This contrast points out the parallel that occurs when opposites coexist. The more interesting part is to think why these two contrasts coexist? This clashing points to how nature is used within the built environment and why. Overall, the “vibe” or “aura” of the space felt very limited. More specifically, it did not feel usable. Yes, there were places to sit, but that was it. That’s exactly the message I believe the plaza is going for: “Hi, come sit but don’t stay long.” I’m not saying every plaza has to have a large attraction or amenity, I’m only trying to state that the built space was not an inviting environment.
Michael Fiddle on 120 Park Avenue:
Hello, I work in the 120 Park Building for Bloomberg LP as an event planner. We are trying to create a pop up store feel for a multi day event in midtown NYC and thought the public space in the lobby of our building would be a perfect location and feel. Is this space reservable? Are there limitations to it? Please reach out to me via email or phone at mfiddle@bloomberg.net or 646-324-2001 and let me know what can be done, if anything, with the space. Thank you very much, Michael
David on 17 State Street:
The bust of Herman Melville was unceremoniously removed by workers on the evening of Tuesday, September 6, 2016. A metallic panel matching the other ones on the wall where the bust stood replaces the niche. The public exhibit space "New York Unearthed" has been closed for a number of years.
David S on 235 East 40th Street:
The POPS plaza on 40th between 2nd and Tunnel Exit is closed (with tape and signs) for a private function (party). 9/7/2016 7pm
Jim Ryan on 725 Fifth Avenue / Trump Tower:
second photo of prior complaint.
Jim Ryan on 725 Fifth Avenue / Trump Tower:
I question the placement of seats for the restaurant on the concourse level of Trump Tower. It seems that someone with a disability might have trouble climbing over the red velvet cord. Second photo will be submitted in next complaint, but really only one complaint.
Ami on 590 Madison Avenue:
What's the hours for 590 Madison Ave. Square POPS? Thank you!
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