It’s hard to pick one open space that defines this neighborhood. Is it the coziness and centuries of history of Duane Park? The child-centric fun and sweeping lawn of Washington Market Park? The expanse of water and sky we get from Hudson River Park?

And while love is not a pie — we do not *have* to pick a favorite, nor do we have to choose one over the other — not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate Bogardus Plaza and the fact that it serves as the gateway to Tribeca instead of the old triangle and the stump of Hudson and the traffic that came with it.

I know the folks at One Hudson sacrificed for this, but the public open space that was created has become a real neighborhood hub. We have to salute the Friends of Bogardus Plaza, who had the vision and utilized a city mechanism to make it happen. It took a decade of persistence from when they came up with the idea to when it opened in December 2020.

What I love most is the mix; there is no singular user of that acre. On one mild day mid-morning in mid-April, I encountered a team meeting for the folks from Daily Harvest, who have their offices at 99 Hudson; several clusters of Stuy students; a group of delivery guys with their bikes, waiting for their next gig; two grandparents with their granddaughter; a man passing by stopped to watch the Champions League soccer game on his phone; a woman actually reading a paper paper.

The video below, of one of the lunchtime jazz concerts hosted by the Friends of Bogardus, gives you a taste. A dad dancing with a kid; a 20-something in a Dead shirt keeping time; lunchgoers coming and going.

I often find myself just plopping down for a bit, using it as a respite before the tasks waiting for me at home take hold.

And that says nothing about their robust calendar of events: the dog show, lunchtime jazz, exercise classes, block parties, scavenger hunts.

I know it was torture for the years it took to build. But I really think it’s become the park we never knew we needed. Plus it just looks just gorgeous out there at night.