Gansevoort Landing

Meatpacking’s New Public Plaza

MEATPACKING’S NEW Public PLAZA IS A WELCOMING SIGHT. Photo by Brian J. Pape, AIA.

The sign says “Welcome,” and the new plaza is a welcoming sight. The new plaza is the left-over street space in front of a TF Cornerstone building at Gansevoort and West Street (10th Avenue) where meatpacking trucks used to dock and unload their wares.
Now, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District has coordinated with the city & state Department of Transportation, TF Cornerstone, and curation by the Whitney Museum, to create a more friendly, safe connection from Gansevoort Street over to the highway crosswalk at Horatio Street. From there, you will arrive at the Hudson River Park Gansevoort Peninsula Park and its new Sand Bluff, soccer/sports field, concession/restroom buildings, esplanade and dog run.
The colorful cartoonish abstract mural painted onto the asphalt street paving is by artist Alake Shilling, who calls it Buggy Bear Takes a Cool Cruise.
Potted plants, tripod low steps or ‘bleachers’ and granite blocks help buffer the play area from the remaining traffic lanes leading to West Street. Along with a wide sidewalk and the converted loading docks, this makes an open, playful spot to pause, but you wouldn’t want to leave your kids to play here, since there is no barrier to the traffic.

THE COLORFUL CARTOONISH ABSTRACT MURAL painted onto the asphalt street paving is by artist Alake Shilling. Photo courtesy of the Meatpacking Business Improvement District.