A Documentary by Matt Davis
For 170 years, Washington Square Park has been the spiritual and geographical heart of Greenwich Village.
In 2004, the NYC Parks Department set out to realign, redesign, and redefine the central feature
of Washington Square Park, The Fountain Theater, long a center of free speech, protest, and performance.
Fueled by private money, the designers turned a deaf ear to the community.
Old, healthy trees were slain in the name of symmetry,
replaced with saplings, while the Bloomberg Administration swaddled itself in Green.
The cost of the first phase has reached double the amount of taxpayer funds designated for the park,
and at least two more phases remain, during which the beloved park languishes as a construction zone.
STRAIGHTENING OUT WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
is an exploration of the individuals and attitudes that shape New York City.
Although some material currently appears on YouTube,
posted
prior to the City overturning the New York City Supreme Court injunction,
STRAIGHTENING OUT WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
is primarily composed of never-before-seen footage.
Here's what YouTube users have said about
what they've seen so far....
shanreddy: This is an excellent and informative video. I do apprecitate that there's some effort to provide a balanced view. I applaud your effort as it's a real contribution to this cause and to democracy as whole.
Georgesimian: I can't believe they're ripping up the park. I want to see the rest of this film. This is a total outrage. I'd really like to know how this was allowed to happen.
VanishingNewYork: Sanitize the city. Get rid of the "riff raff" - that would be anybody besides other billionaires. Mayor Bloomberg was quoted as saying "NY is a luxury good". Read some Naomi Klein. Just look at the 10 signs of fascism. One step at a time.
DanHour: NYU, Bloomberg, Corporate NYC and the thugs from the Parks Department have finally wrested the Park from the people. From Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson sharing a bench, to the Beats, to the 60s counterculture, WSP has been a gathering spot for discourse and mixing of people of all backgrounds. The goon squad used to arrest poets and musicians; now, it's anyone trying to film the rape of the Park. NYU will have Disneyworld, the Yuppies and realtors will be happy with the gentrification,
moogman5: Perfect example of looting and racketeering by our beloved government and city "officials"
malcommex: This is a big problem. I'm not from New York, but the few times I've been, I visited Washington Square Park to see real culture. To me, this park is New York. I walked through and was able to join in on the art and music. I never felt like an outsider. I guess, this is just another casualty of America's quest to look exactly the same everywhere you go. All hail the United States Of Generica.
truthlovver: putting a fence around washington square park?! that is outrageous.
franklanguage: Damn...I live on Tompkins Square Park (a few blocks to the east) and I know what to expect once they renovate WSP; it will be a goddam precious park like Gramercy. Pretty soon, you'll need a key to get into all of them. Yeah, it sucks.
TahMAssTah: This has been killing me for a while. Glad you're putting it out there for people to see.
photolitherland: You know, thats how they get away with destroying historic places, they just stop taking care of em and then say that they need to be demolished and shit like that. It was all planned out, they just stopped taking care of it and so now they can be justified with destroying this park. Ive never been there but they do the same thing with historic places in Houston. People stop taking care of them and then some bitch ass developer says, look at this crap, lets destroy it.
witchman67: It is also apathy. No one cares anymore.
Insoniax2: I found the plaza by accident on a random trek around NYC and ended up spending hours there. It was my first trip to New York. I hope it doesn't change!