Category Archives: Washington Square Park

Washington’s Make-over

Thursday, December 25th, 2003

Washington Square Arch

Restoration of the Washington Square Arch. It looks like they have trowled in some mortar over the erosion crags that made old George look like Dorian Grey. It’s hard to see it in this photo, shot by sticking my lens through the chain link fence, but he’s looking pretty bland. I suspect there will be finish sculpting done as the restoration of the figures behind him look much sharper.

George before

Here’s a photo of the photo they have on a sign there, showing how badly the statue had eroded.

Filed in City Life, Parks, Sculpture, Washington Square Park, West Village | Permalink | Comments (0)

Farm Sanctuary

Sunday, May 25th, 2003

It’s another cool rainy day in NYC. Most participants in outdoor events this weekend must be pretty disappointed. This is one of about five animal rights advocates wandering around Washington Square park in farm animal costumes, getting their message out to the few folks that felt like being in the park today. They are from Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glenn, NY - farmsanctuary.org

Filed in Ecology, People, Photos, Washington Square Park, Weather, West Village | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arch

Sunday, May 25th, 2003
The Washington Square Arch is being renovated. It’s covered in scaffolding and ugly blue cloth. That’s ol’ George in the lower right hand corner. His face is full of cracks and runnels.

Filed in Parks, Washington Square Park, West Village | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring

Monday, April 28th, 2003
It was a lovely day today. NYU, near Washington Square.

Filed in People, Washington Square Park, Weather | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jim Knipfel

Tuesday, April 15th, 2003
Jim Knipfel is my favorite New York Press columnists. His wry sense of doom, rage and self-depreciation is somehow comforting to me. I took this almost unusable photo last Saturday near Washington Square. I was unsure if it was him. I’d never seen his photo, but the hat, coat, cigarette and demeanor fit the caricature illustrations that accompany his column. If I had my wits about me I would have asked him.  His latest book and his first work of fiction is "The Buzzing," a conspiracy yarn from the point of view of a reporter habitually assigned to his newspaper’s "kook beat." Archives of his column Slackjaw here.
Click for larger photo.
Today I ran into him again in Tompkins Square in front of the Temperance Fountain. I still didn’t say anything. But the photo was good enough this time, to come home and ascertain that it actually was him, through a Google Image Search.

Filed in East Village, People, Photos, Tompkins Park, Washington Square Park, West Village | Permalink | Comments (0)

Singer

Sunday, April 13th, 2003
Click to see uncropped
This guy, beneath the Garibaldi statue in Washington Square Park, was singing popular songs from fifty years ago in a deep operatic voice, accompanied by his boombox.

Filed in Music, People, Street Performance, Washington Square Park, West Village | Permalink | Comments (0)

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