It is a little small in the seat.
The benches at Transmitter Park are now half the size they were when the waterfront green-space first opened three years ago, leaving far less seating space for visitors to park their posteriors.
The parks department has replaced nine of 10 of the park’s original roomy four-seater benches with scrawny plastic and wood numbers that can only comfortably hold two average-sized adult butts, and neighbors say they are dismayed that the city chose to remove so much rump room at the nascent green space.
“We have so many people in Greenpoint who are trying to enjoy open space, and the city makes it uncomfortable for them,” said Christian Eberson, who was hanging out at the park on sunny weekday afternoon. “We need more seats, not less.”
The city says the original benches it installed at the park took a beating during Hurricane Sandy and started to fall apart less than two months after the park opened. Employees scoured parks warehouses to find more of the original benches, but they were fresh out and the manufacturer had stopped making them. So it replaced the pews with a different model — the so-called “1939 World’s Fair benches,” which feature a circular cast iron frame and wooden slats. But those annoyed park visitors and quickly fell apart, said a spokeswoman.
“They just did not test well,” said parks spokeswoman Maeri Ferguson.
The parks department then brought out the current benches as a last resort, she said.
Some park visitors see an upside to having less seating space for their backside.
“It is fine for people to sit on the grass,” said Ian Overholtzer. “It brings them closer to nature.”
The city said it has no plans to bring back bigger benches in the future.
