This place used to be full of drug dealers. Now it’s full of drug dealers AND office workers enjoying gourmet sandwiches and Wi-Fi at lunch. It’s one of the things I love about New York, these sudden bursts of pastoral oases in the midst of urban towers. The people here are so desperate for these spaces yet also so eager to keep the urban identity; it creates a tension where crack vials and latte lids peacefully comingle in the recycle bins.
J. Keith van Straaten can be seen as the host of Yahoo! Answers On The Street, a talking head on VH1’s Best Week Ever and on E! countdown shows like Celebrity Feuds and Guilty Pleasures. He hosted Comedy Central’s game show Beat The Geeks, and since 2004 has been producing and hosting What’s My Line? - Live On Stage in Los Angeles (coming to New York City in 2008).
Copyright © 2008 J. Keith van Straaten
Structure theme by Justin Tadlock
Further Customization by Laura E. Lincks
If you REALLY want to see sudden bursts of green amidst the concrete slabs, check out this video from International PARK(ing) day from September. We Gothamites didn’t invent PARK(ing) day, but we sure did it right! There is something incredibly surreal safely lying on a patch of grass with members of one’s community IN 7th Ave., looking up at the towers of midtown on a sunny day. Awesome! (And 1:10 into the video, you’ll see yours truly doodling on a tee-pee.)
PARK(ing) Day NYC 2007