New York City is considering a plan to make much of Astor Place a pedestrian-only zone, The Villager reports. One proposal calls for Fourth Avenue to be narrowed and the block between "The Cube" and Gwathmey's Sculpture for Living turned into plaza space. That's not sitting well with some, albeit not for the reasons one might expect:
?I don?t think it?s a good idea,? [Christabel Gough] said. ?In fact, some people believe it was an Indian trail. The reason it?s so short is that it was broken off ? it used to go through Washington Sq. and up to the West Village where there was an Indian encampment, Sapokanikan, near Gansevoort. It also lines up with a road that used to go to Peter Stuyvesant?s place ? Stuyvesant Pl. Those streets have been there a long time and make it more interesting. And I think closing off the road in front of ?The Cube? is a terrible idea ? just to give the new [Related] building a front yard.?Mr. Gwathmey, in Miami, could not be reached for comment.
· City proposes closing Astor Place for pedestrians [The Villager]