There is a lack of space available for dogs and people to collect in NYC. Whether public or private someone is in charge of making decisions, regarding a space. From the department of parks and recreation, making decisions regarding the use of parks, or the owners of private corporations such as restaurants, hotels, or even apartments. Someone is always making a decision. Now, these decisions have many effects on the lives of dogs.

     Policies are the everyday challenges of dog owners. A dog owner wants to be able to take their dogs around the city, and avoid leaving them home alone as much as possible, much like a dog owner I had met who even had to find a job, where she could work at home from, just to avoid leaving her dog Everest at home alone so much.

It is unfortunate that dogs are not permitted on much of human space. Dogs are a part of so many people’s lives; people that have to make all their decisions taking their dogs into account. Walking in New York, you’d be surprised by the amount of people walking their dogs. Now if all of these people were making decisions based on where their dogs are or aren’t permitted, wouldn’t these decisions come in the way of the success of businesses? Which is why I ask this, why create these policies? What caused these policies to come about? Is it a fear of dogs? Will these policies change, as dog culture is becoming more popular? Have the New York policies changed over time? Most importantly, I would need find out if New York really is “the nations friendliest destination” as Animal Fair magazine reportedly claims. To find all these answers I would need to find out who is making these decisions first, as they will hopefully prove to know the most.

Private space includes everything from where you sleep from where to eat. Deciding to go eat at a restaurant may be a small decision, compared to choosing an apartment where owning dogs is acceptable, or “okay” as the brokers or sellers would put it. After having to take that into consideration one would have to look at the surrounding destinations such as restaurants and shops, as some areas in Manhattan may prove to be more dog friendly than others. The apartment choosing process has to become a much more practical decision.

Choosing where you live includes decisions based on the surrounding public space. Do the surrounding parks have dog runs? Dog runs are the only public spaces dogs are allowed to be let loose in, during a specific time period. Are these dog runs too small or over crowded? Choosing the right sidewalks to walk your dog at, or take them out to let loose is even a little decision a dog owner must make. Looking for large and empty sidewalks, and avoiding the hustle and bustle of Manhattans overcrowded sidewalks, makes the dog walking process for a lot of dog owners and their dogs a lot easier. Even public transit is not a guaranteed way to get around the city with your dog. The subway only allows for dogs small enough to be put in a handbag to be allowed in. Not all cabs driver’s pickup or allow dogs into their cabs.

We all come face to face with dogs, whether we own them or not, so decisions of where to share space with dogs really do affect us all.

All things happen at Union Square. Union square is used to its full extent by the public, even in the most strangest and unexpected ways. I would go as far as to call it the center of Downtown Manhattan. People interact with this park by commuting or traveling through it, by using it as a place of business, by using it to be heard, and finally as a place of recreational interaction.

Not only are people walking through Union Square from above, but also below it thousands of New Yorks use the subway Station to commute to and from other areas in New York. Most of New York’s subway trains stop at Union Square station at some point because it is so central. It is one of the largest Subway Stations in New York City. Many people use Union Square to transfer from one train to the other because it is so large. On the other hand, the commuters passing through Union Square above ground can be differentiated by those interacting with Union Square because like others walking through the streets of New York they are walking from point A to point B and they clearly don’t want to be stopped or delayed. Union Square is definitely a spot used to get from one place to another.

Unlike a lot of other Parks, Union Square is a place of business interactions. Businesses choose to take advantage of this public park, as it is always crowded, and filled with business opportunities. When I say business opportunities I am talking about the Farmers market, the salesmen calling for you, the tables filled with things to sell, and even the chess players. Several tents lie on the west side of Union Square selling what you’d expect to be sold at a Farmers market, which includes things from pastries to fruits to vegetables to meat to home made products, such as jam. Those selling their products at the farmers market choose to interact with the public by not only selling to them, but also choosing to have friendly conversations with them. Those not involved with the Farmers market, but selling things non-the less, sell items such as souvenirs, DVDs, and hippy products. The salesmen at Union Square are another thing. They can get quiet annoying, especially when they want to start up a conversation with you about their products. Walking through Union Square the other day I was asked twice where I cut my hair.

Union Square is a place to be heard, after all it is public, and those who have something to say have the right to do so. There are protests at Union Square almost every day, but other than protests, people also use Union Square to preach their beliefs. They speak and people listen, at least most of the time. Just the other day I saw a lady so touched by a Christian man speaking that she was left in tears.

Union Square, like most parks, is a place for recreational interaction. It is one of the largest empty spaces downtown, and in a city like New York any space is used to its full extent. Not only do kids run around, skateboard, and play around in its playground, which is even tempting for me to play at, but adults seem to enjoy it as well. Whether they choose to sit on the steps and watch performers, have a conversation on the benches, or even smoke marijuana, the park is a place where people interact with one another.

Union Square is a place for the public; it is a place they interact with to its full extent. A place with legal, and illegal interactions, but interactions non-the less.