interviews bridge 2 for malgo TESS
Tess Finkelstein
Malgozara Bak
int. seminar
Interviews, Bridge 2
Washington Park consists of many different types of people. The scenery and people are constantly changing throughout the day depending on the hour. At approximately six on a random cloudy Tuesday one can find families playing in the park, dogs on walks, nannies taking babies for fresh air and coupes— many couples. Because of the vast amount of couples my group and I found at the park, we decided to focus mainly on couples and what the park meant to them.
To me, the park is a serene area where one can collect thoughts, get a fresh breath of air, talk with friends and take in the environment. The park can be separated into different sections: Dog play area, playground for children to run free, the water fountain, a ton of greenery for people to catch a chill nap, or the benches for intimate conversation. The list of spots are never ending in Washington Square Park. Each spot has a different meaning and connection to each individual. The simple act of walking through the park can be life changing, because of the vast difference of people, the experience of a simple walk in the park could never be recreated.
During our interviews we asked why the couples were in the park and how often they came to the park. The answers we received were all extremely similar. They all said they were there to relax, to enjoy the day and the open air and to hangout with their loved ones. They didn’t have any touching stories to tell us, just the fact that they were enjoying fresh air with their loved ones was enough for them and was the main reason to why they were in the park. They all said that they went to the park often and will continue to keep returning to the park.
After the interviews, I thought hard about how it’s not the atmosphere or the location that makes a place meaningful but the people and the memories collected from that specific place.
