Photo: Spring in the Garden

From reader "Resident Against the Plan" are these two photos of the garden in bloom this year.

For more photographs of the garden in bloom, like the new photo in our banner, visit Hubert J. Steed's spring gallery.

Guest Post: Trees and Skyline to be Replaced by a Skyscraper Building

Sasaki Garden at Washington Square Village, April 19, 2012 by Hubert J Steed (source)

The NYC/NYU2031 expansion plans call for the construction of several new skyscrapers in the heart of historic Greenwich Village which will be built on this garden, bordering park strips, the comprehensive children's playgrounds, and on a "super block" south of WSV which will destroy a treasured community garden at LaGuardia Place Corner Garden.

Protests and legal appeals are being made to stop the destruction of these community and NYC necessities & amenities for the planned skyscrapers.

Virtually all of these trees and gardens will be destroyed in the near future, if our courts of law allow the NYC/NYU2031 Plan to proceed.

Please run the slideshow button on the upper right corner of http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/photo_shoot_120419 to see conveniently what is planned to be destroyed. If you run the slideshow with a soundtrack of "Where have all the flowers gone?" it might break your heart.

Click http://savewsvsasakigarden.blogspot.com/p/resources.html for more information and photos of Washington Square Village Sasaki Garden.

Also click http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/laguardia_place_community_garden for more photos of LaGuardia Corner Garden.

And http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/nyu_athletic_center_mercer for gardens around the NYU Athletic Center.

Click http://nyufasp.com/nyu-departmental-resolutions/ for NYU Faculty resolutions against the NYU2031 plan.

A video on this is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgBKhRGkLU0&feature=youtu.be.
 
Also see http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/preservation/nyu/nyu_main.htm for more information.

Author note: Hubert J. Steed is a longtime resident and photographer of NYC.  His extensive galleries can be viewed at http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed.

Sasaki Garden at Washington Sq Village in Decline

Precariously leaning redbuds, photo courtesy of Hubert J Steed

Dying pine, courtesy of Hubert J Steed

For a collection of photos of the WSV Sasaki Garden in decline, visit the WSV Sasaki Garden & Landscape Bleak House & Pending Death gallery courtesy of Hubert J Steed.

Photo: Winter in the Garden

Sasaki Garden at Washington Square Village, Feb. 8, 2013, photo by Hubert J. Steed (source)

Sasaki Garden at Washington Square Village, Feb. 2013, photo by Resident Against the Plan

Hubert J. Steed's Winter 2013 Gallery has been updated at http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/wsv_gardens_winter.

Photo: Garden Hawthorns in Poor Condition

Hawthorns, northern edge of the WSV Sasaki Garden, courtesy of Hubert J Steed (source)

The hawthorn pictured in the foreground of the photograph lost a major branch (it's only one) during an early fall storm (not superstorm Sandy).  The remaining trunk was removed after the hurricane.  The hawthorns in the background have been improperly pruned and no longer exhibit the traditional structure of a hawthorn.  Furthermore, the loss of much of their canopy has led to poor growth and stunted habit.

Photo: West Third Street: Not Green, Not Livable

West Third between LaGuardia Place and Greene courtesy Hubert J Steed (source) (more)

The north side of West Third Street between LaGuardia Place and Greene Street is lined by NYU buildings that turn their backs on the sidewalk and street; an inhospitable route.

Photo: Ode to the Garden's Willow

Sitar Musician Playing a Raga under Weeping Willow by Hubert J Steed (source)

The willow and pines in the southeast corner of the Garden are a favorite spot for many users of and visitors to the Sasaki Garden. View a the slideshow of the willow's "changing colors and forms" at http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/our_willow_tree.  Also consider listening to Billie Holiday's "Willow Weep for Me" (hat tip: Hubert J. Steed).

Garden Photos from RAPPER (Resident Against the Plan)

"Resident Against the Plan" shared the following photos of the Sasaki Garden with us.  Enjoy!

Photo: Children Use the Sasaki Garden

Learning Numbers on the Garden Path by Hubert J Steed (source)

Photo: Destined for a Tree Museum?

WSV Sasaki Garden, July 2012 courtesy of Hubert J Steed (source)

From "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell

...

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

...

(Source: letssingit.com)

Photo: Tree Canopy on Laguardia Place

Image: Tree canopy cover on Laguardia Place looking south (courtesy of Hubert J. Steed,  http://www.pbase.com/image/144624920)

Photo: Early Spring in the Garden

Photos courtesy of a WSV resident who enjoys the beauty of formal, geometric garden design.

(Note the perfect alignment between the central steps on the west side of the Garden and the NYU postal center driveway.  Prior to this addition on Laguardia Place, there was direct *public* access from Laguardia to the Garden.)

Photo: Memorial to Save the WSV Sasaki Garden

Photos of Hideo Sasaki

Hideo Sasaki's nephew, Ralph Swain, has generously shared several photographs of this uncle with Save the WSV Sasaki Garden.  We share them with you below.

NYU Superblock Gardens at Washington Square Village

For your consideration, a slideshow of the NYU Superblock Gardens condemned under NYU 2031 has been prepared by Hubert J Steed:

NYU2031 expansion plans call for the construction of several new skyscrapers in the heart of historic Greenwich Village which will be built on this garden, bordering park strips, the comprehensive children's playgrounds, and on a "super block" south of WSV which will destroy a treasured community garden at LaGuardia Place Corner Garden.

Photo: Butterflies in the WSV Sasaki Garden

Are we all doing everything we can to preserve and protect the WSV Sasaki Garden so everyone will enjoy butterflies and flowers for generations to come?

Red Admiral Butterfly on a Rhododendron Blossom in the WSV Sasaki Garden (source)

A Battered American Lady Butterfly in WSV Sasaki Garden (source)

(Photos courtesy of Hubert J. Steed.)

NYC in May: Great Place and Time to Birdwatch

Northern Cardinal, image courtesy of Hubert J Steed

"New York City is particularly well-sited on the Atlantic Flyway. It’s really a great destination for birdwatching....Starting at the beginning of May and running until about the third week of May, the bulk of migratory birds pass through New York City. The diversity in the spring is highest. Usually, around May 12 is peak diversity in New York City. Of course, the same thing happens in the fall migration..." (from an interview with Glenn Phillips, executive director of the New York City Audubon by City Atlas. The entire interview can be read at http://newyork.thecityatlas.org/people/glenn-phillips.)

More Photos: NYU 2031 Threatens Open Space

Northern Cardinal in Redbud, Sasaki Garden at Washington Square Village

Our neighborhood green, open spaces are at risk!  They will be destroyed if the NYU 2031 Expansion Plan is approved to build skyscrapers on the two blocks between West Third Street, Mercer Street, Houston Street, and LaGuardia Place.  A slideshow of photographs of these treasures and sanctuaries, taken on April 19th, can be viewed at http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/photo_shoot_120419&view=slideshow.  All photographs by Hubert J. Steed.

Photo: Green, Open Spaces at Risk under NYU 2031

Our neighborhood green, open spaces are at risk!  They will be lost if the NYU 2031 Expansion Plan is approved to build skyscrapers on the two blocks between West Third Street, Mercer Street, Houston Street, and LaGuardia Place.  All photographs in the collage courtesy of Hubert J. Steed.  See http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/photo_shoot_120406&page=all for a complete list of photographs and descriptions.

Photo: Crabapple Flowers

Crabapple blossoms, WSV Sasaki Garden, courtesy of Hubert J. Steed (source)