New York City 2019: filling in with free: Part Two: Public Art and Public Parks

You read about a lot of museum and U.S. National Park options in Part One of NYC: filling in with free, but what else is there to do that doesn't cost a fortune?

So much.

Well ... do you?

So very much.

A whimsical Keith Haring sculpture.

PUBLIC ART

Public art is typically defined as art that is available in a public place, usually outside, costing nothing to see.  It differs from street art in that street art (what some people call graffiti) is often seen as rebellious and is typically illegal while public art is usually commissioned and is considered culturally enriching.  I love all types of art in the public domain!

Mural by Ben Angotti, with the Oculus in the background.

NYC offers more than its fair share of public art.  It's hard to walk down a Manhattan street without encountering something - a mural, a sculpture, a fountain.  Sometimes the art makes you think, and sometimes the art is simply happy and uplifting.

Dream Big! (says A J LaVilla)

Near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the city has commissioned art that is full of color and positive ideas.  It's a perfect way to remind us of the good in life, even when we might be remembering or learning about more disturbing actions in our not-so-distant past.

A colorful garden by Chinon Maria and Sebastian Mitre.

Outside another museum mentioned in Part One, the Museum at FIT, are walls full of chalk art.  Each artist was awarded one rectangle of space, and each work of art was completed by one artist over a series of weeks.

Simply studying these temporary bits of art could take hours!  The theme is different each year, as are the artists, so you're unlikely to see the same thing twice - no matter how many times you get to experience Chalk FIT.

And sometimes you get to take some silly pictures of yourself along the way!




And along almost every street, certainly in every park, you will find art of all sorts.

From modern art, like Red Cube (by Isamu Noguchi) ...

Red Cube, by Isamu Noguchi, in Lower Manhattan

... to famous actors ...

Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kranden, near the Port Authority Bus Terminal

... to historic figures ...

George Washington, outside Federal Hall

The Immigrants, by Luis Sanguino

... to important historical events.  According to the NY Parks webpage, the sculpture depicts figures of various ethnic groups and eras, including an Eastern European Jew, a freed African slave, a priest, and a worker. The figures’ expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person.

... to sidewalk art (by Hani Shihada) ...

Hani Shihada sidewalk art is so detailed!

... to the Charging Bull on Wall Street (by Arturo Di Monica) ...

Charging Bull is a very popular tourist attraction!

... mosaics in subway stations ...

Subway station near NYU

... to advertisements for Broadway shows ...

Broadway advertisements adorn the walls of the Theatre District.

Vessel as seen from near the Hudson River.

... to major public art features like Vessel.

Vessel requires tickets, which may be reserved at no charge, up to two weeks in advance, with some tickets possibly available at the site on the day of visit.

Looking down into the center of Vessel.

PUBLIC PARKS

Everyone has heard of NYC's largest and most famous public park: Central Park.  You've likely seen it in movies and t.v. shows most of your life.  And you could spend a week just walking the 59 miles paths there (many of which contain public art, as discussed above).

But what other public parks are in NYC?  So, so many!
From Bryant Park, just behind the famous library mentioned in Part One ...

... to Battery Park (of Hamilton fame, if nothing else!) ...

Don't miss the Sea Glass Carousel in Battery Park!
As of this writing, tickets are $5 for a three-minute spin in a fish.

... to smaller parks, like Bowling Green.

NYC is filled with green spaces.  We like to think of a city as all buildings and concrete, but it's just not true.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Truly NYC has something for everyone: from fine dining to street food,

from world class museums to public art,

Fearless Girl used to face Charging Bull, but now has a nearby spot all her own.

to street art,

from Broadway productions to street performances,

from crowded Times Square to quiet spots under public park trees, NYC is truly a melting pot.  And a visit there does not have to leave you with months worth of debt.