Union Square’s pedestrian walkway gets mural makeover
BY DEAN MOSES
Union Square has become more
colorful than ever.
The iconic hangout point at
Union Square East is celebrating the city’s
COVID-19 recovery through two gigantic
murals on either side of 14th Street from
University Place to Fourth Avenue.
On July 27, passersby and members of
the community were invited to join street
artists Gera Lozano, also known as GERALUZ,
and Werc to fi ll in the colors of a
mural they created along two pedestrian
walkways.
Entitled Collective Visions and hosted by
the Union Square Partnership and the city’s
Department of Transportation, this effort
was created as an incentive for individuals
to walk through the parkway, and also
highlight that the street — adjacent to the
M14D and M14A bus route — is actually a
safe space to tread.
“The 14th Street busway was implemented
in late 2019, and this street mural
is a celebration of the fact that as a part
of the implementation of the busway the
city gave us more pedestrian space, so
the area that the mural is being painted
on is open to pedestrians and we want
New Yorkers to know it’s for them,” said
New mural marks pedestrian walkway in Union Square.
Jennifer Falk, executive director of the
Union Square Partnership. She explained
that due to the pandemic, all initiatives
to underscore this location as a footpath
were put on pause.
Working until July 30, artists GERALUZ
and Werc will be fi nishing up the
mural and members of the Union Square
Partnership are hoping this project will be
a welcoming reminder to all that there is
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
a safe space for foot traffi c. Additionally,
the vibrant lanes will play host to outdoor
music and other activities that promote
inclusivity in the spring of 2022.
Falk describes Collective Vision as a
symbolic piece that signifi es nature, resilience
and the idea of a shared ecosystem.
The concept behind the mural is one of
many efforts being made through the Union
Square Partnership January 2021 district
plan, which includes taking back more
public space and putting forward engaging
activities for individuals to enjoy.
“And it focuses on the idea that we are
all on this planet together as a community
and that we need to invest in it,” Falk said,
pointing out the images of hummingbirds
and fl owers that are brightly displayed.
Artist GERALUZ joined the project
since she wanted the community to understand
that the space they are painting in
belongs to the community.
On July 26, she placed primer along the
walkway so that the colors could pop and
then sketched out the imagery. On July 27
and 28, everyone was invited to “paint by
numbers,” fi lling in various portions of the
mural.
“It’s taken the community a while to
understand that this is actually walkable
space. I think this mural’s intention is to
create more awareness of their space. This
is for them to have a nice walkway with
beautifully activated artwork,” GERALUZ
said. “It’s about unity, it’s about coming together
and taking the cue from nature how
birds come together, fl owers grow together
all in a sense that community exists and it’s
part of nature and taking that inspiration
as humans to come together as well to be
stronger.”
SoHo Broadway Initiative hosts roundtable discussion on recovery
BY DEAN MOSES
New York City has been paving
the road to recovery through
COVID-19 relief programs and
various promotional campaigns that
invite tourism and foot traffi c back into
communities. Some of the hardest hit by
the virus were independent entrepreneurs
who relied on the hustle and bustle of the
Big Apple.
Iconic city areas, such as SoHo were
devoid of life just over 17 months ago. Businesses
shuttered and boarded their display
windows with planks of plywood while
others tried their best to remain open for
takeout or curbside service. These locations
are now looking to not only fully reopen but
reinvigorate the SoHo community unlike
any other by bringing life back through
interactive shopping experiences.
On July 22, the SoHo Broadway Initiative
hosted its quarterly round table event
via Zoom with a panel to discuss recovery
efforts for the neighborhood, including
Andrew Kahn of Cushman & Wakefi eld,
Konstance Patton from the SoHo Renaissance
Factory, and Sara Schiller creator of
Sloomoo Institute. Moderated by SoHo
Broadway Initiative Executive Director
SoHo Broadway Initiative hosted its quarterly round table event via Zoom on
July 22.
Mark Dicus, he quizzed the panel regarding
the recovery steps going forward, the
challenges they face, and their plans for the
next few months on rebuilding efforts.
One of the chief discussions came from
SoHo business owner, Sara Schiller, who
has developed an exhibit that centers on
the child favorite DIY activity, slime.
Schiller relies on both tourists visiting her
SCREENSHOT
merchandise shop as well as purchasing
tickets to interact with her exhibit.
Since reopening Schiller has struggled
to hire employees due to worker safety
concerns in terms of crime in the area,
especially on public transportation. While
ticket sales have been on a steady rise for
the Sloomoo Institute since the indoor
mask mandate was lifted, she admitted to
using three recruiter agencies in order to
fi nd employees.
“We face two big challenges, I think. The
fi rst I would say is a perception of security,
so whether that is real or not I don’t know.
We need our staff to feel secure. We’ve had
staff assaulted at 9 o’clock in the morning
on their way to Dunkin’ Donuts or work.
We gotta be able to get our staff in securely
and they have to feel safe,” Schiller said,
adding, “We want our staff to feel safe and
because we are family-oriented we need our
guests to feel safe. Again, it’s perception
having clean streets makes people safer,
having storefronts that are full and not
empty.”
Prior to the pandemic, her company
boasted 400 part-time employees but are
now struggling just to fi ll a roaster of 100
to 200 workers. She believes all of this boils
down to the aforementioned safety fears.
Dicus agreed that perception makes a
vital difference when it comes to attracting
visitors to New York City, which is why
efforts have been made to keep Broadway
clean. He also added that crime statistics
show there have been some fl uctuations
within city; however, there is a perception
that New York City is currently unsafe,
especially with gun violence.
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