45 West 60th Street
With three separately situated, but networked, spaces in the immediate neighborhood of the Regent, it is not easy to decipher which spaces are part of the Regent’s residential plaza and which belong to the neighboring Beaumont to the east. Brick paving patterns offer the first significant clue. Although the Regent’s residential plaza is geographically split into two unconnected pieces, one located at the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and West 61st Street, the other on the north side of West 60th Street east of Columbus Avenue, they bear a striking resemblance in design, in beige-colored brick surface material, and landscape treatment. The third space, with its purplish brick, is a residential plaza attached to the Beaumont and connects the two Regent spaces by providing access north and south.
Enclosed by metal fence, gates, trees, and brick wall, the northern portion of the residential plaza is accessible through five entrances, three from Columbus Avenue and two from a sloped walkway parallel to a garage driveway entered from West 61st Street. The gates at all entrances should never be closed or locked, and several City enforcement actions have been mounted in past years to assure that the plaza remains open at all times. Wooden benches and brick ledges provide plentiful seating possibilities among the numerous somewhat overgrown trees and bushes. The dark atmosphere is fortunately dissipated by the light and warmth brought by afternoon sun.
The southern portion of residential plaza may be entered under a trellis from West 60th Street or from West 61st Street via the Beaumont residential plaza. More beige brick, wooden benches, and planting patterns confirm the family resemblance and generate a similar, muted environment. At least flowers vary the color palette. A small, elevated rectangular area deeper in the space provides privacy from the street. Among the regular space users are several retired individuals who like to feed the squirrels.