Straus Square Pedestrian Plaza Gains New Seating

One year after the city sealed off Straus Square to vehicular traffic, the pedestrian plaza is taking shape.

It’s not just the planters and sandy pavement holding court. A half-dozen concrete barriers were repurposed as seating placements for the public. Each is colored with art.

In the meantime, there is still no sign of the previously mentioned “cycling amenity” for the community – a shed and bike repair shop functioning under the banner of Bike New York’s “Recycle-a-Bicycle” program.

As discussed, the ultimate goal of the nascent pedestrian plaza is connecting Straus Square to Seward Park, the oldest municipal playground in the country. In effect, annexing the traffic triangle and incorporating it as part of a unified park. The project was made possible due to $6.4 million in grant money awarded to Seward Park as part of the “Parks Without Borders” program.

Perhaps this seating arrangement will prove more popular to the locals who tend to shoot the shit around the Straus Square obelisk.

These benchworks are just waiting for the skateboard community to grind. Let’s see how long it takes.