The Union Square Holiday Market ended its 6-week run last night at 8 ... and as these photos by EVG reader Harry Weiner show, the place was quickly torn apart for the season ...
Monday, December 25, 2017
The remains of the Union Square Holiday Market
The Union Square Holiday Market ended its 6-week run last night at 8 ... and as these photos by EVG reader Harry Weiner show, the place was quickly torn apart for the season ...
13 comments:
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leave them alone, it's part of de Faustio's affordable housing program and policy
ReplyDeleteWish they'd build reusable structures.....
ReplyDeleteAh, this photo is like discovering one very last Christmas present tucked away in the toe of your stocking when you had thought there were no more.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I don't mean to be such a Scrooge, but the foot-traffic planning on that thing is godawful. Woe betide the innocent person who thinks "I'll just cut through, it won't be so bad!" It's a godawful shantylike mess to look at from the outside as well.
To browse the wares is a deeply unpleasant experience of being jostled nonstop. And honestly, it's mostly a bunch of overpriced, schmaltzy "handmade" crap there.
I really detest the Union Square Holiday Market, is what I'm saying. I am so glad to see that rat maze torn down so quickly—thank you Santa! Merry Christmas everybody!!
I hope they reuse the building materials.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if there were hidden gems in the glitzy wares but I didn't have the time or the energy to find out. If you cut through the middle of the park you could get to the farmer's market without interference.
ReplyDeleteDoes the thing pass code? Does the Fire Marshall visit A place in Midtown on the east side that was an outdoor bazaar-type place got shut down quickly --- I wonder what caused that to violate code?
ReplyDeleteWhy not a Zombie theme park for charity
ReplyDelete@9:13 - I agree with you. Once this market goes up each year, I avoid the park completely. Not only is it an obnoxious scene, but it riles me that a huge swath of our PUBLIC park is used for commercial purposes. Years ago, I looked into renting a booth and the prices are so outrageous (many thousands of $$$) that no independent person or local artist could afford it. And don't even get me started on what has happened to Bryant Park.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance to the yearly mess of having to plow my way through that crazy maze on my way home at night, all too often getting stuck behind strolling couples, selfies-taking tourists, or just plain old lost, confused shoppers while I got to watch the Avenue A bus pull away from the Whole Foods stop, knowing there wouldn't be another for 20 minutes. And as Anon. 9:13 pointed out, the stuff for sale isn't even that great, and it's the same every year. This is just another land grab of public space in order to fill city coffers which also ends up filling dumpsters with still-viable building supplies. Awful on all levels.
ReplyDelete@12:07
ReplyDeleteI think the reason behind the freewheeling permitting of these markets is that the city and parks dept are taking advantage of the original farmers market that used to be only done on Wednesday for over a few decades, which wasn't even disruptive like it is now, it's become way too overcrowded with people and stands combined. But this holiday market thing is beyond out of control but it may be because the parks dept needs the funding. Not for long overdue improvements in other parks in the 5 boroughs but to go to administrative salaries and other superfluous expenditures.
This type of crass commercialism monopolizing public parks will get worse after the good fences exhibit ends, and the city dropped that without telling the communities until the last second
@9:26
That was the market on an empty lot on 56th and Lexington, it was open for 2 weeks and got shut down but the huts are still there.
I really wonder why the people complaining about cutting through this market, don't go AROUND the market. Always worked for me.
ReplyDelete@5:09
ReplyDeleteThese markets cause pedestrian congestion on the sidewalks. This was once a pleasant short cut to get to Broadway.
The only way you can avoid this market is to walk on Union Square East, which is a problem for those who have no intention to go that way
The privatizing of NYC public spaces continues apace! Hey, we wouldn't want to deprive those people who "run" the holiday markets of their $$$$$$$ would we? They need to be rich, and it's OUR money that makes them rich!
ReplyDeleteSame as the privatizing of NYC streets for street fairs - which are the good-weather equivalent of the holiday markets, but timed so as to ruin every weekend plan you might have if you need to go anywhere by bus.