January 19, 2005
Christmas Decor at Washington Square Park
The winter holidays are now a distant memory, but we had to post this image
taken New Year's Day 2005. Surrounded by New York University in
the heart of Greenwich Village,
the famous arch honoring U.S. President George Washington sits on the
northern edge of the aptly named Washington Square Park. The large Christmas
tree in front of the monument is a grand seasonal touch that compliments a recently
restored arch. Until a year ago or so, the structure was surrounded by a cheap, run-of-the-mill
chainlink fence. This barrier was an eyesore and a shockingly undignified way of protecting such a stately historical
landmark from would-be vandals. Washington Square Park itself has gone through as much of a transformation in the past couple of decades.
As recently as a decade ago,
the neatl-appointed square was well-known as a reliable spot for buying illicit herb. The park continues be a space abuzz everyday
with chess players, street performers, joggers, and musicians. You may notice on fair-weathered weekdays
a lot of people working on Dell laptops (there's a free wi-fi hotspot here) or typing into
Blackberry handhelds or talking into their Smartphones--the park is like an outdoor office
space for NYU students, professors and technology geeks.
Reiko Oishi Photo
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