It's My Park: Madison Square Park Portrait

Madison Square Park, where Broadway meets Madison Avenue,
is a six-acre park full of things to do, see, eat, and hear.
Madison Square Park is a busy place these days, but as small a park as it seems, at 6.2 acres, there's
enough room for lots of different things to happen. Madison Square Conservancy is a not-for-profit
organization that works in partnership with the Parks Department to maintain, program, and beautify
Madison Square Park. The programming we provide is free. We have people who want to come and
enjoy the activities, and we have people who want the serenity of the beautiful lawns. There's
something for everyone at Madison Square Park.
Madison Square Park, every Tuesday and every Thursday, has concerts happening at 10:30, so we come
and make sure we don't miss any concerts, they're wonderful here. We get to run around, hang out with
all our friends, and see some great bands like the one we just saw today.
Such a great audience here, always such a great reaction, it's just such a beautiful venue to be...
surrounded by the buildings, yet there's a bunch of grass and just places to run around and dance.
We played here twice last year, the crowds were great, the crowd was great today.
There's a really chill, laidback vibe about it.
It's amazing, 'cause it's oftentimes their first real rock experience, and first even big show,
so just to even watch their reactions is just amazing.
We also have one of the greatest playgrounds in the city, and has been rated number one by one of
our weekly publications in New York. We have kids' programs, we have music concerts, we have
free readings. The centerpiece is our beautiful art exhibitions. We have beautiful nineteenth century
statuary, and the contemporary art program complements that with different exhibits all year round.
We do a lot of promotion of food in the park.
Right behind us, I don't know if we can see it right here, is the Shake Shack. It's a restaurant, part of
whose revenues actually go right back into this park, Madison Square Park, to help keep it beautiful,
programmed with activities, and above all safe.
This is the first time ever that I managed to buy some food because the line is always so long, it's
incredibly long. I mean, I saw the Shake Shack growing. But the first day it was open there was a very big
article in the Times, and so the line started on the first day.
Just look at that line over there, and you'll see that it's something special. I've been in a lot of
restaurants in New York City; I've never seen a line this big. It's just a good old-fashioned, good burger.
And it hasn't disappointed me.
I'm waiting in line for a hamburger, a cheeseburger, probably.
We have a, not a long lunch break, so we watch the Shake cam.
The fact that Shake Shack has become as popular as it has is something we're incredibly proud of,
especially proud because, in a park it's an incredibly inclusive experience, so that you get people from all
walks of life, from every age group, ever ethnic group, every demographic group. It's priced at a point
that it's accessible to almost anybody. And that feels great.
t was really delicious; I mean, it was really worth it.
Si, bonissmo, bravo.
Hi, this is Mike Messer of the Dirty Socks Fun time Band, here in Madison Square Park. It's my park!