They're screwing with Washington Square Park!!

I hope you didn't have plans to stroll through the center of it and sit next to the fountain...because you can't for, well, YEARS? Hard to say, but as of TODAY, they blocked off the center of the park. It's funny...I missed the obstruction by about an HOUR apparently. Dammit! It seems the park is embroiled in controversy, as the parks department has decided to CHOP DOWN decades-old trees AND move the fountain!?! NYU's apparently got a lot to do with this...wanting a bigger space in the park for graduation. Ugh. I read about it briefly a couple weeks ago when activists were still fighting over it...but I guess they lost. So there I stood, trying to get a picture of the tree by the arch when a woman approached me and asked to get my feelings on "all of this" fencing...on tape. Um, OK. Super eloquent, it was not. I hate being put on the spot for an impassioned speech, don't you? But I'm not that concerned it'll be shown at Sundance. It was interesting, though, to talk to this 60ish English woman who's lived here for 40 years. I felt very...very...I don't even know. Activist-like? I spoke to her for a good 10 minutes. SEE how gracious I was today!? I used words like "shameful" to describe my thoughts on tearing down ancient trees and restructuring a historic park. And it's true...but the whole conversation seemed funny to me. I kept trying to appear Super Concerned as she ranted to me, afraid i'd laugh...despite agreeing with her. Will that be ME in 30 years? Fighting City Hall with a video camera? Anyway, so she gave me internet info and i'm gonna fire off another nasty email...this time to the NYC Parks Department. It's action@comptroller.nyc.gov if the Washington Square Park "redesign" angers YOU and you'd like your voice heard. Put it to the attention of Jeff Lieber/Washington Square Park. That's what this lady told me, at least...I can't really find a "Jeff Lieber" when I google. So, yeah, if you wanna be a tiny bit of an activist, write an email. Seriously, idiot politicians fucking with historic landmarks fucking angers me. Hmm, THAT'S what I should've said on the video...