In the ten years I've lived in Washington Heights, perhaps nothing has changed so much as the medians on Broadway. Although they've always featured an array of mature oaks and cherry trees, they were generally 'shitholes' where ppl walked their dogs and threw trash. But in the past few years, the city -- via 'Greenstreets' -- has transformed most of the islands into 'color-splashed delights,' with a variety of flowering bushes and perennials.
Because Broadway is such a wide avenue, the plants get tons of light. The ground-cover roses in the background have been flowering vigorously for at least a month, while the daylilies and -- umm -- whatever-those-purple-things-are-called have more recently been added to the mix. Of course the sedum will arrive later, but as you can see, the blooms are already impressive.
In a way, the medians add to the striking contrast of beauty and ruins in the neighborhood, which is extreme by any measure. If you could see through the plants to the sidewalk, you would be able to take in the horrible strip of 99-cent stores, telephone stores and shitty bodegas that dominate this section of Broadway. Under the daylily you can see a cup that some1 threw there, just as you can see the bad graffiti creeping up the building like a cancer.
Not really sure where Wahi will 'end up.' It's a fact that Mayor Bloomberg doesn't give 'two fucks' abt uptown Manhattan, but I'm not sure the 'singing cowboy' will be able to beat him. Srsly h8 politics. Wish I could be as patient as a plant, offering myself to the ambivalent world without a second thought abt what tomorrow might bring.
I'm very surprised I might know this, but: are those purple things corn flowers?
Posted by: Lukas | 07/26/2009 at 08:12 PM
Yes!! Thanks Lukas! <3
Posted by: Matthew Gallaway | 07/26/2009 at 08:23 PM