Faking It

Hilarious. It's minus 7 degrees celsius here today and I'm shielding myself against the brutal wind in Nolita, careful not to slip on the sidewalk ice. Amongst all the black asphalt and grey snow, my eye is suddenly drawn to a store window that is green and leafy! But wait, that's not a store, it's a park! Well, sort of. It's a "Pop Up Park".

The current resident of the store, Openhouse Gallery is an exhibition and pop up retail location. "Park Here" has been installed for the pleasure of New Yorkers during the chilly month of January. The once basic white space has been converted into a warm and green fake park, resplendent with faux grass, evergreens, a pond, benches, a see-saw and trilling bird sounds. There is even "sunlight" and heat to overcome your seasonal affective disorder! And a little wooden stand where you can buy steaming hot coffee and cookies. And like every type of park in Manhattan, it was full of people and dogs lying about. Whoever said New Yorkers were a superficial lot! So long as it is warm and green, they will come.....

Images:  (1, 3, 5-7) openhouse gallery, (2) green design hq,  (4) ny curbed