Originally, Madison Square Park is one of my all time favorite parks in New York City and I spend many of my class breaks there. When I was told this assignment required me going there, it was like I was continuing a weekly routine. My favorite spot to sit in the park are these small green tables but the floor is sand which contrasts the New York City vibe right away. New York is known for cobble stone streets and pavement not sand. From this point in the park, you can see practically everything. To the left, by the Flat Iron Building, there are usually crowds of tourists taking pictures, each one seems to have a new idea as to how they can uniquely pose by the building. If you sit by the tables there, you are bound to have someone ask you to take a photo for you.
To the right of the park, there is the infamous shake shack which always attracts either tourists or people on their lunch break who are trying to grab a quick bite. Past Shake Shack, there are tons of benches. Usually, around 1-3 pm on a weekday, the park is swarmed with nanny’s going on a walk with their children or people trying to balance out walking six dogs at once.
All of these actions contribute to Lewis Mumford’s theory that New York City is a “theatre of social action” and a space of “significant collective drama.” Everywhere you turn, there are so many different things going on that it really does feel as if you are in a play watching one event followed by a swarm of other events. Yes, New York City is mostly known for the Empire State Building, Central Park, and Chrysler Building but what people tend to forget is the amount of diversity the city has to offer. I did not understand this diversity aspect myself- or rather have not paid much attention to it until I moved into the dorms myself.
New York is all about observation and if you sit at one of the tables or benches Madison Square Park has to offer, your perspective on the city will change. It will no longer be about the agglomeration of people and buildings. Rather you will have a much better understanding of Mumford’s conception of the city as something much more. That “much more” understanding is totally up to each individuals perception. To me, the diversity between people in such a simple place as a park really shows how New York City is home to millions of uniquely different individuals, all trying to find their place in the world.
Karina Karazhbey
Karina, I really loved your statement that “New York is all about observation.” I couldn’t agree with you more. Our perspectives are constantly changing. We are influenced by what we see, and we rarely, if ever, see the exact same image or moment.
Great blog! I enjoyed every word of it.
Karina, I loved how you mentioned how the sand contradicts what the city is about. I never thought it that way, and I as well stop by during my long breaks there. There’s always a bunch of babysitters and dog-walkers that I spot as well. I also loved your take on diversity because it is what makes New York City. Overall, great blog!