Dear Lincoln Center,

Would it be possible for you to publish a calendar with the dates on which Damrosch Park will be the groomed public space that it was intended to be? Those dates have become less frequent and are now few and far between as the public space – and the public access street and sidewalk by it – are highjacked for one commercial event after another.

Permanently gone are the magnificent lush beds of red azaleas that created the signature picturesque artscape during the spring and summer months. They’ve been replaced with more concrete and portable plants that don’t see enough days of sun to survive.

It would be nice to know the dates on which people might be able to relax and enjoy Damrosch Park, especially during the spring and summer, not to mention walk on the sidewalk around it or use the street during the other seasons without stepping in elephant dung or tripping on all those water bottles left over from the models' meal of the day. If you don’t anticipate enough dates for which to make a special calendar, maybe you could list two or three of them on your website. And bring back the azalea beds, please.

Your friend and mine,
Haglund

Comments

[Alice Lovely]

Dear Haglund's Heel,

Thank you for this. My thoughts exactly. That is/was a beautiful and restful space and now so often not available to us theatre-goers, not to mention the structures erected are usually an eyesore -- especially that one during the recent fashion show.

On the other hand, that new fountain in the plaza is a magnificent work of art -- at least I think so.

Alice

[Haglund]

Hi Alice. Thanks for stopping by H.H.

I understand that a group of residents and an environmental organization have sued L.C. over the highjacking of the area for commercial use. You may recall that Fashion Week left Bryant Park because of ongoing disagreements with the park's management over how FW was using the area.

If FW brings in all the money that the city claims it does, the city should be willing to move it into Central Park to share the wealth (and mess and inconvenience) with everyone. Of course, I'm laughing at the thought of trying to get that past the CP Conservancy.

Also, it's time for that circus to move somewhere else.