Parks:

Spring Street Park

Rendering courtesy Hudson Square Connection by Mathew Nielson Landscape Architects

The reconstruction of this park, located at the corner of Spring St. and Sixth Ave., began in April 2017 and is expected to open to the public this September 2018. The redesign, led by the business improvement district Hudson Square Connection (HSC) and NYC Parks, will feature increased seating, expanded planted areas, more energy-efficient lighting, enlarged permeable areas for rainwater absorption, and a relocation of the 1997 General Jose Artigas monument to a more prominent, central location in the park.

Though closed to the public at the moment, a new banner was unveiled on the site’s fence which was designed by students from the Chelsea Career & Technical Education High School. The park, which has been untouched since the 1970s, will be revitalized into an inviting and sustainable outdoor space. Location: The corner of Spring St. and 6th Ave.

Freeman Plaza

Photo courtesy Hudson Square Connection

The two plazas, Freeman Plaza East and West, are located on either side of the Holland Tunnel and are bounded by Hudson, Broome, Varick, and Watts Streets. Owned by the Port Authority (PANYNJ), the plazas are open from 8:00AM to dusk during weekdays to accommodate Hudson Square’s thriving community.

Renovated through a partnership with the Hudson Square Connection (HSC) and opened in 2014, the spaces serve as outdoor gathering area marked by trees (gasp!), tables, umbrellas, chairs, and even solar-powered cellphone charging stations. Freeman Plaza East is also home to “Octetra,” a world-renowned sculpture created by Isamu Noguchi. Previously exhibited near the Spoleto Cathedral in Italy and in the Pace Gallery in New York, “Octetra” is 12,000-pound, over seven feet tall, red, geometric sculpture. Location: Entrance on 180 Varick St., New York, NY 10014.