Bikeshare Art Drama

After much delay, most people were grateful to see that BikeShare had finally launched in New York City.

Well, most people.

I work near Petrosino Square. For generations, this little spot between Lafayette and Kenmare streetst was known simply as the "the triangle." The children of Little Italy used it to play stickball. Before gentrification, automobile traffic was a rarity in this neighborhood.

Wait a minute, if you are protesting a lack of art space, wouldn't you--oh never mind.

Then came skyrocketing rents, celebrities, and stores that sell $4,000 handbags. With no more kids to play stickball, the triangle was virtually abandoned until 1996, when the city planted some trees, laid down some tile and benches, and called it "Petrosino Square," in honor of a prominent Italian-American police Lietenuent who was killed in the line of duty.

Protesting in Air-Conditioned Comfort.

Due to Petrosino Square's proximity to the 6 train stop on Spring Street, and it's large (by Manhattan standards) area of unused space, it made sense for most people that it would be a good place for a bike share station.

Well, most people. A group of artists decided to protest that the bike share docking station had cut into their art space. Yep. Their space, public property be damned. And to show it, they decided they were going to get out of their art studios and in into their art space.

They even got some media coverage in the New York Post and Daily News.

Now that air conditioning season is upon us, the protesters have left as quickly as they came. Occasionally, someone will tie a sign to the one of the fences or tape a piece paper to one of the CitiBikes in protest, but for the most part, the party is over. The docking station is here to stay.

Even though I think the bike share program is a good idea, I couldn't help but find the protestors endearing. I also thought is was funny that nobody bothered to investigate what that space was actually being used for in the time immediately preceding the launch of CitiBike. As you can see, it may not have been conventional visual art, but it was entertaining nevertheless.

Well, I thought it was interesting. But at the end of the day, it's just another unique New York story.