New York City is notorious for its parks. As recently reported by NY Rush, new parks are coming, and others are being overcrowded. With many new parks being added to the city it is no surprise that new and authentic ones are in the works. Now, an underground park will soon be coming to our city.
The idea is still in the works, but it is one that seems to be taking it’s course soon. Dan Barasch, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Lowline, is visioning an underground park below the city. A different concept than what one is used to picturing underneath the Big Apple. He is picturing a grassy garden, ferns, and mosses with light hitting all of them, giving visitors a different kind of park they are used to.
The park is closer to taking off to be in the works, as city officials have given the go-ahead. The park will be open year-round and will be built by The Lowline, Barasch’s company. The park would be built close to Williamsburg bridge, what was once a trolley terminal, now decommissioned. Barasch had the vision to build down rather than up and the whole concept came together.
To show how the idea of the park would work out, a model like park was built two blocks from the subterranean park would be built. The prototype park was built in a former warehouse, with sunlight streams hitting the model and 3,000 plants which included fruits. The fruits that came out regardless of the season. There were strawberries that would be ready to be picked by March, and mints that would grow into the middle of December.
The park so far is almost set to begin, but of course needs the approval of the people as well before it can begin. Any public concerns, site tours, and speaking to the community board all need to be addressed before construction can begin.
So far it looks as if it will go ahead with construction as the idea seems to be a unique one. The whole concept is to shed light into more parks but through a different perspective. To be in pretty much a botanic garden below one of the more urban areas in the world. That is truly unique.
Featured Image via Wikipedia
