(Photo by me and my Android phone.)
Last weekend I stopped by a great example of the creative urban renewal trend predicted in 2011 by JWT Intelligence. Park Here is an indoor pop-up park at Openhouse Gallery in Nolita. The park, while completely synthetic (except for some tanbark at the entrance), mimics the pleasant openness of a park on a warm day.
For those who live in areas blessed with plenty of green and year-round warm weather, this probably sounds really corny. A bunch of people sitting around inside on Astro turf, surrounded by fake trees and a recording of birds chirping? That was my initial thought too.
But as soon as I stepped through the doors, I and everyone around me bought into it. For whatever reason, we believed enough in this "park" experience to grab a coffee and settle down with a newspaper on one of the benches or on the "grass" up against a wall. People were lying down, listening to music, or catching up on the latest just-between-friends chatter under the trees. There was even a whole group of people playing a board game in the middle of one of the rooms, er, grassy areas. Add heating (it felt like spring), food vendors and free wi-fi, and you have the best park ever.
Our desire to have access to green spaces is great enough that even a simulation will do.
PS - New Yorkers - head over to 201 Mulberry St. to check it out. Open daily 11AM-6PM, free.
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