First though, a video I shot today on just about all that is left on Sixth Avenue of that part of the district...guess there is more to be found around there, but this was what was most apparent to the average observer...
Oh, by the way, if you want to see this video full screen there is an icon here on the screen to click for that ( and then you hit Escape to get out of the full screen when you have had enough).
I wish I were shooting in HD just so the full screen video would look better, but I write this as I am waiting around for a hell of a long time this afternoon for this little video to upload ( it is only about 45 seconds).
I only can bear to run PART of the 2011 Scouting NY story because it seems to me the area has shriveled away so much since then...and it is painful to watch.
The Jungles of West 28th Street – Exploring New York’s Flower District
I was
scouting near Chelsea the other day, and happened to walk through one of
my all-time favorite green spaces in the city: West 28th Street between
6th & 7th Avenues.
To properly start the journey into the
jungles of West 28th Street, begin on 6th Avenue just south of the
McDonalds. There, you’ll find the sidewalk lined on both sides with
six-foot tall walls of green flora for sale. Hang a left onto West 28th
Street…
…and this amazing green passageway through our busy metropolis continues…
…and continues…
…and continues.
My favorite stretches are when you’re
completely surrounded by plantlife on either side, blocking out the
passing traffic and city noise, a wonderfully surreal experience.
This is New York’s Flower District, a dwindling but still vibrant community of plant wholesalers and retailers.
According to a NY Times article,
the Flower District originally began around a ferry dock on East 34th
Street, where pushcart vendors would gather to buy and sell flowers
being shipped across the river from Long Island.
In the 1890′s, many of the vendors
relocated to the West 28th Street area to be closer to a richer
clientele. By 1977, more flowers were being bought and sold in New York
than anywhere in the world other than Amsterdam.
When I first arrived in New York City in
2000, you could still walk about half the block without seeing the
street. Sadly, the Flower District has been disappearing a little more
each year as developers buy up properties.
Still, there are some good runs left yet.
For more of a tropical feel, try the north side at the corner of West
28th Street and 7th…
…and you’ll find yourself surrounded by tall leefy trees…
…and even a palm tree!
Your tour of the flower district shouldn’t end on the sidewalks. Duck into any of the shops…
…and you’ll find yourself surrounded by wall to ceiling foliage, the stores wonderfully humid and teeming with fragrances:
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