To the editor: As a 30-year New York City resident who relocated to Pittsfield in 2022, I’m always happy to see Leonard Quart’s “Letter from New York” column.
How touched I was that in his Aug. 7 column “The parks of New York City” he referenced Paley Park, a “pocket park” on East 53rd Street.
This parklet, with tables, chairs and a waterfall wall, was right around the corner from where I worked in September 2001. I spent much time there as a young woman during the weeks following the World Trade Center attacks to find solace within a world I was no longer certain I recognized. Seats were filled with others attempting the same. It heartens me to know the space still exists to provide comfort to all amidst today’s considerable challenges.
I’ve never seen Paley Park mentioned in the media before. Mr. Quart truly has his finger on the pulse of multiple “eras” of New York City. Many thanks to The Eagle for giving us the gift of his voice and the reminder that a park, however small, can often be the balm you don’t realize you need until you let it begin to heal you.
AnneMarie Balogh, Pittsfield