Photo: Kayden et al. (2000)

50 East 89th Street

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On the north side of East 88th Street between Park and Madison Avenues, this commodious plaza (park-like open space) at the back of the through-block lot offers such amenities as landscaping, lighting, and a sitting area. The location and basic configuration recall the plaza at the back of 300 East 75th Street, except that here, buildings to the east, west, and south conspire to minimize the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. A concrete-framed metal fence stretches across the opening, with an entrance gate at the western side for access to the slightly elevated plaza floor. At a recent site visit, the space was not accessible, and no record of City approval for such denial of access has been found. The square displays a mixture of open space and low brick wall planters filled with trees and bushes. There is plenty of ledge seating and wooden benches attached to planter walls. Where an old sign previously prohibited ball playing, bicycling, littering, frisbees, and dogs, the new sign delivers its message of cultural updating by prohibiting chalk writing, radios, running, and skating (in-line, it is assumed). A landscaped open area is located at the front of the building, on East 89th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. It has landscaping, but little open area. The unusual names for these spaces come from a restrictive declaration filed by the owner and a City Planning Commission approval of such declaration.

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3 User Submissions

  1. submitted by: Stacie Johnson

    This POPS is uninviting and has a lot of rules: no dogs, no music, no running, closes at 8pm. It’s completely in the shade of a towering building and there is an intense concrete fence separating it from the sidewalk. Today, May 3rd 2018, one of the first nice days of the year, I went there to have my morning coffee and enjoy the weather, and IT WAS CLOSED! How annoying!

  2. submitted by: Jon Lindsey

    Space has been closed to the public for many many months. The building claims that it is due to work being done in or near the Plaza. Proposed reform: there should be a posted notice of approval to close the space (with an expiration date) from the Department of Buildings any time a privately owned Public space is closed due to such permission.

    • submitted by: J Sherman

      This has been going on for many years. They were allowed to build extra floors on their building on the condition that they gave the public access to their park