One of the amenities of working at NYU is being so close to Washington Square Park. I have spent so many summer days in this park eating lunch, reading a book or taking a lap in hopes that it will help sort out a work issue. I feel very lucky to have an office right on the park, where on any given day I can hear the kids laughing in the play ground, street performers entertaining, protesters chanting, or Blondie singing to save CBGBs. It doesn’t take much effort to find a pickup game of scrabble or chess or buy a dosa or pot (um, so I hear). It’s quite a location and has incredible history.
However, after an ongoing battle with the residence of the Village and city officials, this week the city started construction on the park that will last upwards of two years. The entire park will be closed during this time, much to the chagrin of many of the Village locals. It’s a sad week for the residents of Village as their sweet park turns into a construction zone for the next several years.
