Monday, October 29, 2007

Can Hipsters Help Save Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park?



One of the great benefits of having a real waterfront park at Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park instead of the Louis Kahn memorial disguised as a FDR memorial, is the variety of different constituencies and user groups that can enjoy the natural beauty and open vistas that the park provides. For instance, the Unamplified Acoustic BBQ as reported by Impose Magazine:

With the River to River Festival, Central Park Summerstage, and the McCarren Park Pool Parties all started (or starting) this month, New York City certainly isn’t lacking for means to drag its rock bands up from the dimly lit recesses of the city’s usual venues and out, blinking in confusion at the change of setting, into the summertime sunlight. Or springtime sunlight, at least for another couple days. The distinction actually matters, as last Sunday saw the return one of the most informal, esoteric, and unpredictable of the outdoor show circuit, Todd P’s Springtime Unamplified Accoustic BBQ.

The spectacle unfolded on a broad expanse of grassy public parkland the southern terminus of Roosevelt Island, against (pivoting in a slow circle) the highrises of the Upper East Side, the U.N., the East River sweeping out and under the Williamsburg Bridge, the giant Queens Pepsi sign, or the Queensborough Bridge, arcing over the weather-and-time-gutted shell of an 1850s-era smallpox hospital. A communal grill was running all day, fed by donated charcoal and hot dogs, and drinks surreptitiously circulated in plastic cups. As public space, the park required no booking, and was secluded enough for any amount of racket without anyone nearby to disturb. And, facing the constraints imposed by having no electrical outlets in sight, more than 20 bands and performers stepped up onto one of several impromptu “stages” (”beach blankets”) to play a quick set.

A Roosevelt Island resident who attended the Unamplified Acoustic BBQ writes from the Roman Games blog.
when he learned that I live on Roosevelt Island he told me that there was going to be a big hipster BBQ party on that island the very next Sunday! So on that day I packed a bag with some sunscreen and my camera and strolled down to the southern tip of the island. And indeed, there were tons of hipsters down there, having a great hippie style party with a huge line-up of musicians playing acoustic sets. I didn't know anybody and because I had a hang-over once again I didn't have the energy to talk to anybody. Still, I had a great time just listening to music, sunbathing and taking a couple of pictures and videos.
Can hipsters help save Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park from the Louis Kahn memorial?

You Tube link is here.
More You Tube video's of Accostic BBQ here.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Todd P Acoustic show vs. louis kahn memorial? meh.

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