The welcoming new western entrance to Washington Square.

So goodbye, Washington Square. This e-mail invitation just arrived: Dear Friend of Washington Square Park, It is with frustration and remorse that I write to inform you of a memorial service for the spirit of Washington Square Park. A number of our neighbors in Greenwich Village will be gathering this Wednesday, December 19, at 6 p.m., in a circle around the fountain. If we cannot gather around the fountain because of construction or obstruction, we will gather around the arch. I join with other members of our community who have expressed great concern that our beloved Park’s unique central plaza, … Continue reading →

A banker in San Francisco just sent me this image of the stunning 71st Street setbacks and D-line terraces of 740 Park Avenue, shot from an apartment across the street. It’s from a listing for a $15 million 10-room apartment at 730 Park Avenue, being sold by Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International.

Watch this incredible piece of eco-conscious collage art by Eduardo Guelfenbein:

The makers of “The Homes of Henry Kravis don’t mention 740 Park, but he used to live there, too. The Times writes the movie up (with a cameo appearance by 740’s Steve Schwarzman) here.

The long delayed renovation of Washington Square Park has been cleared by the courts — the decision is here — and is set to begin any second now. While the protesters are understandably disappointed, some of the locals may have a bigger shock in store as the huge rat population in the park (the small furry ones, not the human kind) starts looking for a new home. UPDATE: Gawker channels a newspaper report that a dead body was found in Washington Square Park on Sunday. A plague of rats and a corpse? Apocalypse now!

Horacio Silva takes a gimlet-eyed view of the overheated art market in today’s New York Times T Magazine, listing “Richard Phillips creating handbags for Jimmy Choo, Damien Hirst peddling jeans for Levi’s… the cross-dressing ceramicist Grayson Perry designing a fabric for Liberty… the new Banana Republic campaign features models dressed to match the artworks behind them… Louis Vuitton has installed a pop-up store as part of the Takashi Murakami show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the opening of which fittingly featured appearances by Marc Jacobs and Kanye West..Selfridges recently showcased sculpture by Conrad Shawcross between the … Continue reading →