Adventures of Urban Life

desiree b caro

For the plaza observation assignment i visited Seagram Plaza in midtown Manhattan. on the day that i visited the weather was fairly nice but still breezy so i expected a good number of people would be utilizing the area. while at the plaza i looked for some of the main contributors to a successful plaza (as outlined in the film we watched in class): sittable space,relationship to the street, chairs, sun exposure, water, trees,and food. Seagram plaza had a good amount of each of these things without it being too busy. i noticed that the were wide ledges on the edge of the plaza where a lot of people were sitting. these wide ledges allowed people to sit facing outward toward the street but also to sit facing inside toward the building and the 2 large water fountains- doubling the amount of people it can hold if necessary.
More sittable spaces was also located at the very front of the plaza at the steps where some people would sit in the corners of, as well toward the back of the plaza where there were a few benches and trees. the water had a very calming effect on the surroundings in the plaza. people seemed to be gravitated towards it. and although the trees were bare during this time of year there were a good amount of people still sitting beneath them. i think this is because under the trees there are a few benches that might be of more comfort to the older people visiting the plaza. something that i found interesting next to these benches was a bike rack (one located on either side of the building). i thought the racks were really convenient for people who were visiting the plaza, and showed that the plaza is not just to be used by the people that work there but is also welcome to all.
It was a cloudy day so there was not much sun exposure, but had there been a sun on that day you could tell that most of the plaza would be directly covered by it. on that particular day there were about 40-50 people any given time that i was there. most of the people were sitting in groups of 2 or more; also a large amount of them seemed to be eating food from one of the three street vendors located nearby. another popular activity among those in the plaza was "people watching" (an activity that i myself have been more than guilty of). mostly everyone was looking around gathering their surroundings and watching the busy people on the street going to and from work. Seagram plaza seems to be a very successful and popular plaza in the area; it allows for relaxation, conversation, or just passing the time.