Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Why?

I used to have a friend who, after over-imbibing heady spirits, would moan "Why? What does it all mean? Whyyyy?" My Black Irish heritage relished every tortured, existential "why" moment we spent together.

But here is one "why" I can answer: Why am I writing a blog about shopping on 34th Street, and why am I writing a blog about shopping in Bryant Park? Let's dish:

I work for two business improvement districts in midtown Manhattan, the 34th Street Partnership and Bryant Park Corporation. We're non-profit, urban management companies that run public spaces in the city. I know, you're nodding off already. So I'll just tell you that we like to obsess about: trashcans. I can no longer look at OPT (other people's trashcans) without shaking my head and pontificating on the horror of throwing one's trash into an old, beat-up oil barrel. I do this till my husband yells at me to stop ruining his day.

Besides trashcans, we obsess on: street furniture (newsboxes, bike racks etc. all designed by our very talented industrial designer Ignacio Ciocchini), horticulture (Bryant Park, Herald & Greeley Squares, and planters and hanging baskets you see on 34th Street, all thanks to our very talented horticulturalist Maureen Hackett), capital projects (lightpoles, street signs, street corners and crosswalks, etc.), sanitation, security, and retail. We also have an events department that oversees all the events in Bryant, Herald and Greeley.

I work for the retail department and, through blogging, help promote the stores on 34th Street and contribute to the Bryant Park blog. So I go out to our 34th Street stores, or The Holiday Shops during their tenure in the park, take pictures and show you what they've got. All to lure you into our districts and get you to shop, mwahaha! No, actually, it's not sinister at all. 34th Street is more of an outdoor mall in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. And Bryant Park is one of the prettiest city parks you'll ever visit.

Thanks for letting me rant, and please feel free to email me any questions you may have about funding, streetscape elements, retail stores, or how badly I (ahem, "we") want Topshop on 34th Street. You know, the really important stuff.

7 comments :

Elizabeth said...

This is so cool, because I wondered all this time what your job was/is. Cool! Thanks for telling us.

Are you enjoying blogging?

WendyB said...

I love your passion for trashcans :-)

Seeker said...

I second WendyB in your love for trashcans.
And I supposed it was something related to what you've said.
That's nice.

Have a great weekend.

xoxo

Lipstick said...

You are so cool Fashion Herald! I have always wondered about your job--it is more interesting than I even imagined.

Anonymous said...

OK, SO glad you posted this. Because I adore your guts but never could quite figure out why the focus on a single district. It's all clear to me now! And I hereby give you permission to post at LEAST one trashcan rant per month. I would love that.

Tricia said...

oh, good, glad the fog is cleared, I was way overdue in explaining!
And sal, that's a brilliant idea, I can do trash can of the month.

Tricia said...

oh, and enc, yes, I really enjoy blogging. particularly having ongoing conversations with all of you.