I was going to start off by talking about the walk that I mentioned in my first post but considering my recent activities I thought this would be more appropriate.
Saturday, Nov. 28th was the second time that I got to help out preparing the Texaco Map at Philip Johnson's Tent of Tomorrow for covering before conservation. Just the basics here if you don't care to click on the link. The Tent of Tomorrow was the New York State Pavilion built in Flushing Meadows park in 1964-65 for the World's Fair. The floor is a Texaco road map of New York State blown up 64 times and fabricated in terrazzo with plastic and metal inserts indicating cities, towns, historic sites, and Texaco stations. The pavilion was apparently quite something to see at the fair but time and an absence of purpose take their toll. Right now the New York City Parks Department is working on clearing vegetation from the map and bagging up loose pieces to prepare the map to be covered up to prevent further deterioration.
It was really a pleasure to get to see the map in person after only being able to lurk around the exterior and peer through the chain-link fence. It's going to be awhile, but I hope that the Parks Department can find a use for this site and the money for the necessary restoration work.
While I'm at it, I want to recommend to anyone reading this blog who hasn't been already been to take a trip out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The park isn't a beauty to behold but the old World's Fair structures that are still around are fun to see and there is always something going on. This August I was out there watching some of the soccer matches of the Copa NYC, but any given day there are guaranteed to be soccer and cricket matches going on throughout the park. Also I can't forget to mention the Queens Museum (awesomest scale model ever) and the Pitch and Putt (surprising fun even if you don't really golf). There's way more out there but check it out yourself! Really this is just a great park, it's historic, it's active, it's big, and it's in Queens! No, I have no formal connection with the Parks Department or this park or any of the attractions listed, this is not a shameless plug, I really genuinely like it and think that it should get more recognition than it does.
Tune in again soon (hopefully) for the Lawrence Family Cememtary, the Pike Mansion, and the Lent Homestead (seriously this time, I promise).
I just found an article on the work at the pavilion that I thought I'd include here. I had my picture taken but I guess I got edited out. Oh well. :)
