July 5, 2008
They are calling it "Nature and the City," this waterfall art exhibit that lasts through mid-October.
Several weeks ago, on one of my walks around Brooklyn, I noticed a lone scaffolding rising from one of the piers beneath the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Mystified, I wondered what purpose a scaffolding could serve there in the middle of nowhere. I see scaffolding going up around buildings every week (never see that being used, either), but this seemed really bizarre.
Later, I saw scaffolding going up under the Brooklyn pier of the Brooklyn bridge and thought that they must be doing some work under the bridge.
Then, week before last, someone at work asked me if I'd seen the waterfalls yet. He told me to go look out the window. Sure enough, there on Governor's Island was a waterfall. I then put 2 and 2 together and finally realized what the mysterious scaffolding was for. We could see that waterfall, too, from our southeast window on the 9th floor at One New York Plaza.
My employee remarked, "Fifteen million dollars it cost the city." Yikes!
So, one evening this week I took a walk to see some of the falls close up. I think the waterfalls are nice, but not 15 million dollars' worth of nice. For that kind of money, I'd like to see some fans installed in the subway platforms. (I'll never understand how the city can possibly think that it's OK to not have ventilation down there where it's well over 100 degrees this time of year. Five minutes' wait will leave you soaked with sweat on your way to work.)
Anyway, here are some photos, and a link to the official web site for the falls, where you can meet the artist: http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/.
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