2018 in Review: MidCity News Almanac Edition
Bryant Park and 34th Street are both now well into their third decade of unparalleled success, and that is a tribute to the efforts of the staff at Bryant Park Corporation and 34th Street Partnership. We don’t take anything for granted, so we’ll keep working to improve. For the moment, however, let’s reflect on the past year.
At Bryant Park, thousands came daily to skate, shop, listen to live music, hear famous authors, exercise, play games, eat, have a drink, watch theater, or just stretch out and relax. With more than 1,000 events and daily activities, visitors always had plenty to choose from.
On 34th Street, the stats tell the story: high pedestrian counts, three of the city’s busiest subway stops, the nation’s biggest rail hub, and strong sales at our lineup of top national and international brands. The thousands of people coming to the District to work, shop, or relax each day could depend on clean sidewalks, well-functioning streetscape elements, colorful horticulture, and lively public spaces, all managed and maintained by 34th Street Partnership.
Here are some of the notable stories and developments of 2018:
New Partnerships
Partnerships are vital to Bryant Park’s continued success. We welcomed these companies in 2018:
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KeVita signed on as the new sponsor for Bryant Park Yoga, and Gaiam donated 1,000 mats for the program
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New sponsors for Bryant Park Movie Nights included: Qatar Airways, Bravo, and Vulture
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These partners helped to make The Lodge a big success in its first year at Winter Village: Champagne Bollinger, Heineken, Brooklyn Brewery, Founders Brewing Company, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Awards
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34th Street garnered two Certificate of Merit awards in the Public Space category when the International Downtown Association announced its 2018 Downtown Achievement Award winners: one for our redesign and development of the taxi stand at Madison Square Garden, and another for our multiple newsrack program.
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Also honored by IDA was Bryant Park’s unparalleled array of amenities, which was named an Excellence Winner in the Events and Programming category.
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The design for the Holiday Shops kiosks won the Good Design Award 2018 from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. The design was also selected by the Industrial Designers Society of America as a finalist for the International Design Excellence Awards.
Passages
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In September, we were saddened by the death of 34th Street’s Chief of Sanitation, Al Stampfel. After a successful career at NYC Department of Sanitation, Mr. Stampfel joined 34th Street Partnership in 2003 and rose to the top position in 2017.