HUDSON YARDS — Visitors to the Hudson Yards' newest plaza will not be strolling through “David Bowie Park,” “Gentrification Park” or “Not-The-High-Line Park” anytime soon — although those were among hundreds of suggested names submitted as part of a crowdsourcing survey.
In January, the Hudson Yards/Hell’s Kitchen Alliance asked for the public’s help in naming a green space between 10th and 11th avenues, from West 33rd to West 36th streets, which opened to the public in August.
After reviewing submissions from more than 150 respondents, the alliance chose “Hudson Boulevard Park” as its finalist, executive director Robert Benfatto said Thursday.
That name was submitted six times, results of the survey showed.
“Hudson Yards Park,” “Hudson Boulevard Park” and “Hudson Park” were submitted the most — with 11, six and five submissions, respectively.
"Hudson Boulevard Park" had been tossed around even before the crowdsourcing campaign, as the alliance's board worked with a consultant during the naming process, Benfatto explained.
“We discussed all of them… and [the board] just went along with that one,” he said. “It gave a destination for where the park is, and it distinguished it from Hudson River Park.”
While some submissions — like “Devil’s Playground,” “Hell of a Park” and “Hell’s Heavenly Park" — played off the Hell's Kitchen name, the alliance's naming committee had already moved away from neighborhood-themed titles prior to releasing the survey, an August 2015 presentation showed.
“Notions related to Hell or Devil are too negative and feel like an appropriation of Hell’s Kitchen,” it said.
The committee also expressed concerns about the word "Hudson," which it felt could be "tied [too much] to Hudson Yards’ identity, and not inclusive enough of the entire community," according to the presentation.
Some respondents used the survey to voice their opinions on the changing neighborhood, with submissions like “Privilege Park,” “Gentrification Park,” “Long Time Residents Get Lost Park,” “Only The Rich Can Be Here Park” and “Developer’s Little Poop.”
“David Bowie Park,” “Ziggy Stardust Park,” “Pete Seeger Park” and “Lou Reed Park” were among the musically inclined submissions.
“Visitors can go take a walk on the wild side,” the person who submitted “Lou Reed Park” said.
Politicians, local officials and historic figures were also thrown into the mix, with suggestions like “Michael Bloomberg Park,” “Christine Quinn Park,” “Alexander Hamilton Park,” “Jane Jacobs Park,” “Christine Berthet Park” and the “Sarah Palin Memorial Park.”
Others submitted general guidelines for the naming process rather than names.
“Do not name after a [Community Board 4] member — past or present,” one submission read.
“Anything that doesn’t confuse it with Hudson River Park,” another said.
“What in the world is wrong with Hudson Yards Park?” one person wrote as his or her third submission after suggesting “Hudson Yards Park” twice.
Submissions like “New Park,” “Nice New Park” and “Quite Nice New Park” took a more literal approach.
Elected officials, the Javits Center, W42ST, the Municipal Arts Society of New York and the alliance itself circulated the survey online and via email prior to board discussion, Benfatto said.
A city Parks Department spokeswoman on Thursday noted the “Hudson Boulevard Park” name is still “just a recommendation.”
“No decision has been made yet on the name,” she said, adding that the department’s commissioner, Mitchell Silver, will review the name.
