Reported for the Flatiron Hot! News by Tod Shapiro and the Flatiron Hot! News Editorial Staff
We should never take for granted the remarkable progress in our beloved Flatiron District and Chelsea neighborhood as it has evolved and grown over the last few years, becoming a wonderful mixture of commerce, residential living, shopping, public spaces, parks, and cultural institutions. But it behooves all of us who live, work, and play here to pay attention and try to give input when possible and help guide the progress in a way that makes sense. So, as a concerned publisher of this blog, as well as a co-owner of the Flatiron-based NYC Seminar and Conference Center, I serve on Community Board 5’s Parks and Public Places Committee, which monitors developments in the neighborhood’s outdoor and public spaces. This past Monday, at a joint meeting of CB5’s PPS and Transportation Committees, NYC’s Department of Transportation made a presentation to the public on the slowly unfolding plans to upgrade Broadway stretching from 20th Street up to Times Square, which encompasses some of Flatiron’s most popular public places, including the Flatiron Public Plazas bordering the Iconic Flatiron Building itself, Worth Square, and the nature, safety, and layout of the roadways impacting our neighborhood’s pedestrian, auto, bike, and commercial traffic.
DOT explains the upgrades coming along Broadway in our District!
The Public Plazas, in their current improved incarnation, have evolved from snarled, ugly, sometimes dangerous, and barely functional traffic islands into wonderful and important public spaces. Our Local BID, the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership, under contract with the city and the DOT, has done a wonderful job of managing and transforming the Public Plazas bordering the Flatiron Building and 23rd Street into a public space that serves as a quasi-park, and is now used for relaxing, public programs, dining, and the like, as well as a much-desired venue for promotional events of all types, by both important non-profits and commercial entities. Those who follow Flatiron Hot! News have seen how the Public Plazas have hosted all types of promotions, many worthy, some not-so-worthy, and many over the top! Likewise, Worth Square and the Madison Square Park Conservancy have done some useful things with the Worth Square area, running events such as Mad Square Eats. Most importantly, in a crowded and ever-growing neighborhood, the spaces have been a welcome addition by allowing our neighborhood to breathe a little more freely.
Bird’s Eye View of the Proposed Changes to Flatiron Building Vicinity
At the meeting, DOT cataloged a host of potential improvements, including new pedestrian access and seating, landscaping and greenery, new drainage, security and lighting, and a reworking of the streets themselves to allow for modified throughput of traffic, pedestrians, and bike access. New Infrastructure for all of this, including power and lighting for new dining kiosks and Plaza events, are a welcome addition. The DOT will be modifying the size and placement of the sidewalks, curbs, and right-of-ways, carving out what they hope will be more space for pedestrians, and safer rights-of-way for bikers and motor traffic in the area from 20th Street up to 26th Street. Flatiron residents will recall major changes in that regard in the last two years, particularly in the rerouting of traffic on 24th Street, Broadway and 5th Avenue bordering Worth Square.
It was all a lot to absorb at one sitting – with many neighborhood residents in attendance, there were many comments and suggestions made to DOT, some good, some bad, some perplexed! The changes and plans will roll out slowly over the next several years, but it’s important for everybody to take a look at the proposed plans and give their comments at these public meetings, or in the form of input to our local elected officials and community boards to make sure potential shortcomings are not overlooked. For example, residents of some of our local residential buildings bordering the area gave DOT an earful about their plans to alter parking and traffic flow by narrowing the lanes in the vicinity as well as altering parking rules. There was some push-back on the alteration of views across Madison Square Park and of the Flatiron Building Itself from people approaching these two landmark sites, owing to the renderings of the proposed changes, particularly in the placement of landscaping and the alteration of the curbs and streetscapes themselves.
An obstructed view of the Flatiron Building – by the Trees?
CB5’s Miriam Berman, whom many of us know for the wonderful historical walking tours she gives in Madison Square Park and the neighborhood, and who is serving as a public member of CB5, gave an impassioned critique of some of the proposed changes to the area, commenting that the proposed changes to the curbside and historic grid in the area of the Flatiron Building that are proposed by DOT would alter the historic layout that gave birth to the Flatiron Building’s unique shape. Miriam also gave some very good points on the possible obstruction of the north and south views of the Flatiron Building on account of the proposed greenery and plantings. Many were the nodding heads of attendees Monday evening, including those of the DOT planners, who may not have considered that aspect of the redesign. Again, it’s on all of us to make sure that we continue to give our input as the plans evolve. Click here to review Miriam’s comments prepared for Monday’s meeting. And click here to view the historical materials and schematics she pulled together from DOT in support of her comments.
Overall, the proposed changes, and hopefully the budget allocations to move them along, will be a major improvement to our neighborhood, But, as Monday evening’s proceedings indicated, we must all stay tuned and participate in the process to make it come to fruition in the best possible way!
NYC Theater News
The Flatiron Public Plazas and Worth Square: An Upgrade in the Works
Reported for the Flatiron Hot! News by Tod Shapiro and the Flatiron Hot! News Editorial Staff
We should never take for granted the remarkable progress in our beloved Flatiron District and Chelsea neighborhood as it has evolved and grown over the last few years, becoming a wonderful mixture of commerce, residential living, shopping, public spaces, parks, and cultural institutions. But it behooves all of us who live, work, and play here to pay attention and try to give input when possible and help guide the progress in a way that makes sense. So, as a concerned publisher of this blog, as well as a co-owner of the Flatiron-based NYC Seminar and Conference Center, I serve on Community Board 5’s Parks and Public Places Committee, which monitors developments in the neighborhood’s outdoor and public spaces. This past Monday, at a joint meeting of CB5’s PPS and Transportation Committees, NYC’s Department of Transportation made a presentation to the public on the slowly unfolding plans to upgrade Broadway stretching from 20th Street up to Times Square, which encompasses some of Flatiron’s most popular public places, including the Flatiron Public Plazas bordering the Iconic Flatiron Building itself, Worth Square, and the nature, safety, and layout of the roadways impacting our neighborhood’s pedestrian, auto, bike, and commercial traffic.
DOT explains the upgrades coming along Broadway in our District!
The Public Plazas, in their current improved incarnation, have evolved from snarled, ugly, sometimes dangerous, and barely functional traffic islands into wonderful and important public spaces. Our Local BID, the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership, under contract with the city and the DOT, has done a wonderful job of managing and transforming the Public Plazas bordering the Flatiron Building and 23rd Street into a public space that serves as a quasi-park, and is now used for relaxing, public programs, dining, and the like, as well as a much-desired venue for promotional events of all types, by both important non-profits and commercial entities. Those who follow Flatiron Hot! News have seen how the Public Plazas have hosted all types of promotions, many worthy, some not-so-worthy, and many over the top! Likewise, Worth Square and the Madison Square Park Conservancy have done some useful things with the Worth Square area, running events such as Mad Square Eats. Most importantly, in a crowded and ever-growing neighborhood, the spaces have been a welcome addition by allowing our neighborhood to breathe a little more freely.
Bird’s Eye View of the Proposed Changes to Flatiron Building Vicinity
At the meeting, DOT cataloged a host of potential improvements, including new pedestrian access and seating, landscaping and greenery, new drainage, security and lighting, and a reworking of the streets themselves to allow for modified throughput of traffic, pedestrians, and bike access. New Infrastructure for all of this, including power and lighting for new dining kiosks and Plaza events, are a welcome addition. The DOT will be modifying the size and placement of the sidewalks, curbs, and right-of-ways, carving out what they hope will be more space for pedestrians, and safer rights-of-way for bikers and motor traffic in the area from 20th Street up to 26th Street. Flatiron residents will recall major changes in that regard in the last two years, particularly in the rerouting of traffic on 24th Street, Broadway and 5th Avenue bordering Worth Square.
It was all a lot to absorb at one sitting – with many neighborhood residents in attendance, there were many comments and suggestions made to DOT, some good, some bad, some perplexed! The changes and plans will roll out slowly over the next several years, but it’s important for everybody to take a look at the proposed plans and give their comments at these public meetings, or in the form of input to our local elected officials and community boards to make sure potential shortcomings are not overlooked. For example, residents of some of our local residential buildings bordering the area gave DOT an earful about their plans to alter parking and traffic flow by narrowing the lanes in the vicinity as well as altering parking rules. There was some push-back on the alteration of views across Madison Square Park and of the Flatiron Building Itself from people approaching these two landmark sites, owing to the renderings of the proposed changes, particularly in the placement of landscaping and the alteration of the curbs and streetscapes themselves.
An obstructed view of the Flatiron Building – by the Trees?
CB5’s Miriam Berman, whom many of us know for the wonderful historical walking tours she gives in Madison Square Park and the neighborhood, and who is serving as a public member of CB5, gave an impassioned critique of some of the proposed changes to the area, commenting that the proposed changes to the curbside and historic grid in the area of the Flatiron Building that are proposed by DOT would alter the historic layout that gave birth to the Flatiron Building’s unique shape. Miriam also gave some very good points on the possible obstruction of the north and south views of the Flatiron Building on account of the proposed greenery and plantings. Many were the nodding heads of attendees Monday evening, including those of the DOT planners, who may not have considered that aspect of the redesign. Again, it’s on all of us to make sure that we continue to give our input as the plans evolve. Click here to review Miriam’s comments prepared for Monday’s meeting. And click here to view the historical materials and schematics she pulled together from DOT in support of her comments.
Overall, the proposed changes, and hopefully the budget allocations to move them along, will be a major improvement to our neighborhood, But, as Monday evening’s proceedings indicated, we must all stay tuned and participate in the process to make it come to fruition in the best possible way!