155 East 31st Street
The best part of this residential plaza is located within the primary space behind a black metal fence on the north side of East 31st Street west of Third Avenue. A gate on East 31st Street, closed at a recent site visit, and a gate on the Third Avenue side should be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or dark, whichever is later. The small rectangular domain is almost overrun by mature trees, growing out of planters and providing such dense cover that sunlight has difficulty penetrating to the floor. Fixed wire-mesh chairs and ledges provide plentiful seating. An open parklike space for the private use of Windsor Court residents is tantalizingly visible to the west.
The rest of the plaza is extra sidewalk outlined in brick along Third Avenue. Small planters and seating ledges dot the area in front of stores. A round brick planter at the corner is a good place for sitting in southern exposure sunlight.
During a July 2014 walk through of the space, we observed that this Residential plaza provides an excellently shaded space for public enjoyment. Removing the spiked ledges in the POPS would make the space more welcoming to the public. The spikes are a possible violation, as a certain amount of linear feet of seating is required.