353 East 17th Street
Gilman Hall
Although the plaza extends equally on both streetfronts of the building from the northwest corner of First Avenue and East 17th Street, the usable portion is on East 17th Street. Here, immediately west of the building entrance, is a small, fenced rectangle with two green park benches and some planters. The closed but unlocked gate makes the plaza read like a private space. No record of City approval for this gate and fence have been found. The First Avenue plaza space is extra sidewalk interrupted by planters.
There are now two benches and a couple of round tables and the fence and gate have been removed. The location is a bit bleek but it’s nice that there is seating.
I’ve passed by this space regularly for four years and never realized it was usable by the public. It reads more as a restricted space for hospital employees.