Extra, Extra

Has Washington Square Park really lost the artistic pull that it used to possess? I have to believe the answer to that question is a big, fat, emphatic NO! Although the park may momentarily be down for the count due to all of the construction I believe that once all is said and done the park will once again become a haven for artists, musicians and creative beings alike. One reason which leads me to believe in the fact that one day the park will again be a cultural epicenter is the result of my recent celebrity sightings around the park. If creative actresses such as Mary Louise Parker (the woman behind the brilliant character of Nancy Botwin in the Showtime series ‘Weeds’) and Julianna Margulies voluntarily decide to shack up in town houses right near the square I have to believe that others will follow. Everyone knows that it only takes a few to start a stampede and hopefully such a stampede will revitalize the artistic life which is so vital to the essence of Washington Square Park.

Although I often wish that the park could return to its glory days of the late 1950’s, early 1960’s I do realize that one of the only certainties in life is that all things change. Nothing is forever and I guess the best I can hope for is that Washington Square Park will one day again be a place of inspiration and not just for artists. There is no other place on the island of Manhattan which can match that of Washington Square Park. But as people change over time the space which people inhabit must also change to adequately accommodate them. Now don’t get me wrong I think that change can be a good thing, but I think it is also extremely important to not loose sight of the way things were and what they gave to us. I understand that the construction on the park will make it a safe place and possibly even more aesthetically appealing but I’m just afraid that the new space will not be as inviting as it once one; opening its arms to those who want a place where they can go to be alone with other people, or exercise their god given right to express their political points of view.