MetroFocus Full Episode: NYC Parks, Bridges, The Village, Sandy Art

FROM THE WORLD'S LEADIN CENTER FOR FINANCE, THE ARTS PUBLISHING, SCIENCE, RESEARCH, MEDIA, INNOVATION, AND MUC MORE, THIS IS METRO FOCUS WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN AND TONIGH WITH MIK SCHNEIDER.

TONIGHT, BALANCING TH BUDGETS IN NEW YORK CITY PARKS

THE CITY AND STATE HAVE CUT PARKS FUNDING IN WAYS THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

BIG BRIDGES AND GET BIG MONEY.

THE VILLAGE THROUGH TH CENTURIES.

AND THE YEARS LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR I, IT BLOOMED AS A ART NEIGHBORHOOD AND AS BOHEMIAN NEIGHBORHOOD

AND ART AMONG THE RUINS

THE MATERIALS WER EVERYWHERE I GRAB WHATEVER I CAN USE.

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE BY

HELLO, I'M RAFAEL PI ROMAN.

WELCOME TO 'METRO FOCUS.

SUMMER IN THE CITY MEANS IT' TIME TO HEAD TO THE PARKS.

ARE ALL PARK EQUAL.

DANIEL SQUADRON SAYS NO.

WE ARE HEAR AN INTERVIEW WIT HIM EARLIER THIS SPRING ABOU THE IDEA T MOVE MONEY FRO DIFFERENT PARKS.

IN SOME WAYS NEW YORK IS A CIT OF PARKS WITH 1700 RECREATIO AREAS, PLAYGROUNDS, POOLS AN PARKS SPREAD OVER 29,000 ACRES AND FIVE BOROUGHS.

TO MAINTAIN THEM, THE CITY SPENDS CLOSE TO $305 MILLION A YEAR THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT' ACTUALLY LESS THAN HALF PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CIT BUDGET FOR LAST YEAR MOST PARKS CAN'T MANAGE ON PUBLIC FUNDS ALONE, SO SOME, LIKE THE HIGH LINE AND OLD ELEVATED FREIGHT LINE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN AND PROSPECT PARK, A 585-ACRE OASI HAVE TURNED TO CONSERVANCIES AND PRIVATE DONORS TO BRIDGE THEIR FUNDING GAPS CENTRAL PARK IS OPERATED I PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY, A PRIVAT GROUP THAT RAISES 85% OF THE PARK'S $45.8 MILLION ANNUA BUDGET NOW, LESS AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS, PUBLIC PARK OFTEN STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVIN SENATOR SQUADRON'S CALL FOR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS ALLIANCE, AN ALLIANCE THAT H TOLD ME BELIEVES WILL HELP T LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD ACROSS THE CITY PARK SYSTEM SENATOR, WELCOME

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

NOW, SENATOR, FIRST OF ALL, JUST HOW BAD IS THE SITUATIO IN THESE UNDER FUNDED PARKS?

CAN YOU GIVE US CONCRETE EXAMPLES

THERE ARE 1700 PARKS IN THE CITY AND LOTS OF THEM, PARKS LIKE ST. MARY'S IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND EVEN FLUSHIN MEADOWS, CORONA PARK, TH FORMER HOME OF THE WORLD FAIR, SARAH ROOSEVELT PARK IN TH CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND M DISTRICT, WHERE YOU SEE IN ST. MARY'S, FOR EXAMPLE, DENNI COURT -- TENNIS COURT THAT I NOT A TENNIS COURT IT HAS NO NET AND CRACKEDs FAULT AND BLEACHERS THAT ARE NO NOT BLEACHERS BECAUSE THEY HAV NO SEATS AND FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA, YOU SEE GRAFFITI THAT' PERSISTENT YOU SEE LITTER IN THE CORNER O PIECES OF PARK, WHERE THER SHOULD BE GRASS, THERE'S DUST.

SO HOW WILL YOUR PROPOSAL CHANGE THAT?

WHAT IS YOUR PROPOSAL?

WELL, LOOK, MY PROPOSAL I THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOM PARKS, SOME OF THE MARQUEE PARKS IN THE SYSTEM, CENTRAL PARK, PROSPECT PARK AND OTHERS THAT ARE DOING BETTER THAN EVER, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF CONSERVANCIES THA ESSENTIALLY FUND LARGE PORTION OF THEIR BUDGET, WE SHOULD TAK 20% OF THOSE WELL-FUNDEDFUNDED CONSERVANCIES FOR THOSE JEWELS IN THE SYSTEM AND GET THAT 20% TO PARKS IN NEED ACROSS TH CITY CREATE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THOSE PARKS IN NEED WHO AREN'T GETTING ENOUGH CITY AND STAT FUNDING AND THOSE PARKS THAT ALSO AREN'T GETTING ENOUGH CIT AND STATE FUNDING BUT WHOS CONSERVANCIES ARE CHANGING THE EQUATION

WOULD THIS 20% FROM THE CONSERVANCIES TO THE MEMBE PARKS BE VOLUNTARY OR WILL THE BE MANDATED BY LAW

I PUT IN LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE THIS A REQUIREMENT.

OUR HOPE IS WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT MANY WELL-FUNDE CONSERVANCIES, THAT FOLKS WOUL STEP UP AND BE INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THIS VOLUNTARILY BUT MY LEGISLATION WOULD REQUIRE IT

BUT, SENATOR, MOST PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR OWN MONEY TO A CAUSE THAT THEY BELIEVE I WANT 100% OF THAT MONEY TO G TO THEIR CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO COME IN AND TAKE 20% AN GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE AREN'T YOU CONCERNED THAT YOUR PROPOSAL WILL REDUCE THE AMOUN OF MONEY THAT GO TO PARKS BY PRIVATE DONORS, THERE AR HURTING ALL PARKS?

LOOK, I DON'T A COUPLE OF REASONS, ONE IS TH CONSERVANCY WILL STILL BE TH BEST WAY TO SUPPORT CENTRA PARK IF YOU LIKE IT.

A LOT OF THE FOLKS FUNDING THESE CONSERVANCIES, THE BELIEVE IN THEIR LOCAL PARK AN PARKS OVERALL.

THEY KNOW THE KIDS I NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE SOUTH BRONX WHO DON'T HAVE ANYWHER TO GO ON HOT SUMMER WEEKENDS DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS NEED BETTER PARKS.

AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, BOTH TO FUN CENTRAL PARK, PROSPECT PARK AN KEEP THESE PARKS WORLD CLASS AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, KNO THAT YOUR DOLLARS ARE GOING TO A GOOD PLACE TO HELP KIDS IN NEED AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN NEED

YOU KNOW, SENATOR, IT'S NOT AS IF CENTRAL PARK OR PROSPECT PARK, WHO HAVE BIG DONATIONS B CONSERVANCIES, OR DONORS, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY ARE EXCLUSIVEL FOR THE RICH OF NEW YORK CITY.

ALL NEW YORKERS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, PATRONIZE THESE PARKS.

IS IT IN A WAY TAKING FROM PETE TO GIVE TO PETER

NO.

FIRST OF ALL, THESE PARK SHOULD BE GREAT.

I SUPPORT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DOING AS WELL AS THEY ARE.

YOU HAVE 1700 PARKS IN THE SYSTEM YOU HAVE FIVE, SIX, MAYBE SEVE CONSERVANCIES WITH OPERATING BUDGETS OVER $5 MILLION A YEAR BUT YOU ARE STILL AT 80% YOU ARE STILL DOING A GREAT JO WITH THESE PARKS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE HER WHICH IS THE CITY AND THE STAT HAVE CUT PARKS FUNDINGS THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

FOR A LARGE PART OF THE CITY THEY DON'T SEE THOSE CUTS, I YOU LIVE NEAR CENTRAL PARK O PROSPECT PARK, WHATEVER YOUR LIFESTYLE, IS YOU DON' EXPERIENCE THE INJUSTICE O THESE PARK CUTS.

ONE THING THAT'S REALL IMPORTANT --

WHY NOT FOCUS ON THAT WHY NOT FOCUS ON THE PUBLI MONIES THAT IT WOULD INCREASE, AND EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE INSTEAD OF DIPPING INTO PRIVAT DOE FASHIONS FASHIONS? -- DONATIONS

WE NEED MORE FUNDING AND NO PROPOSAL I MAKE, N CONSERVANC OBVIATES THAT NEED AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO CREATE MORE EQUITY, MORE QUICKLY FOR KIDS AND FAMILIE WHO NEED IT AND ALSO THE POLITICAL WILL TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR THESE PARKS.

AGAIN, THE FACT THAT IN TH CENTER OF MANHATTAN, THE MAJO PARK ISN'T ONE WHERE IT'S JUST CRYING OUT FOR MORE DOLLARS.

I THIN CHANGES THE POLITICA PERCEPTION OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO INCREASE FUNDING

SENATOR QUICKLY, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING THE PARTICIPATING PARKS, THE UNDERFUNDED PARKS T CONTRIBUTE IN YOUR PROPOSAL?

THE UNDERFUNDING PARKS SHOUL GET COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE WE KNO THAT THAT ALSO MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN PARKS.

THEY NEED TO BE RECEPTIVE TO SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES AN OTHER KINDS OF EXPERTISE FRO THE CONTRIBUTING PARKS THE CONTRIBUTING PARKS NEED TO DISTRIBUTE 20% OF THEI OPERATING BUDGE HE BUDGET AN PARTICIPATE IN THI NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT THAT SERV THOSE KIDS AND FAMILIES WH MOST NEED THEM

SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUC FOR JOINING US

THANK YOU

AND NOW, NEW JERSEY TODAY MANAGING EDITOR MIKE SCHNEIDER

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY HAS FOUR BRIDGES, AND IF YO ARE 80 YEARS OLD, THEY ARE ALL OLDE THAN YOU THAT'S RIGHT, THE PORT AUTHORITY HAS NOT OPENED A NEW SPAN SINCE THE GEORG WASHINGTON BRIDGE BACK IN 1931 BUT THIS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE.

AND I ASKED ONE OF THI REGION'S MOST RESPECTE TRANSPORTATION EXECUTIVE MARTIN ROBINS WHAT WE ARE GOIN TO BE GETTING FOR OU $2.8 BILLION AND WHY IT TOOK S LONG

THE ONE THAT STICKS OUT I TERMS OF LONG-TERM LANGUISHING PROJECTS IS THE GOETHALS BRIDGE PROJECT.

IT IS A MERITORIOUS PROJECT.

THE BRIDGE I DEFINITELY DEFICIENT BY TODAY'S STANDARDS TWO NARROW LANES I EACH DIRECTION.

IT'S A SCARY EXPERIENCE.

IT HAS TO GO?

THE LOOKED AT A MILLIO DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

ONE IDEA WAS TO BUILD EXISTING BRIDGE AND TURN THE EXISTING STRUCTURE INTO ON WAY.

OVER THE YEARS THAT WA REJECTED I GUESS THE BRIDGE HAD A NUMBE OF DEFICIENCIES IN ITS STRUCTURE OR WHATEVER AND TH DECISION WAS MADE TO BUILD A WHOLE NE BRIDGE

THE BAYONNE BRIDGE IS A MUC MODERN PROBLEM THEY HAVE SUPERTANKERS GOING THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AND THEY CAN'T FIT UNDER THE BAY OWNBAYONNE BRIDGE AND THEY HAVE T LIFT I UP

THAT'S A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT PROBLEM.

THE GOETHALS BRIDGE IS A PROBLEM FORPROBLEM FO MOTORISTS.

IT'S A SCARY EXPERIENCE AND HAVE USED IT MANY, MANY, TIMES IN MY LIFE AND I DON'T LOO FORWARD TO USING IT AGAIN UNTI IT'S REPLACED THE BAYONNE BRIDGE I ACTUALLY A RELATIVELY LIGHTLY USE BRIDGE, AS OPPOSED TO TH GOETHALS BRIDGE

BUT THE SHIPS CAN'T GET UNDER IT

IT STANDS BETWEEN NEW YOR HARBOR AND THE NEWARK AND PORT ELIZABET DOCKS.

AND THAT IS A REALLY BIG PROBLEM.

CONTAINER SHIPS ARE BEING BUIL LARGER AND LARGER AND WORL COMMERCE AND THEY REQUIRE GREATER DRAF THAN THE BAYONN BRIDGE CAN NOW DO.

ATTLEBORO CROSSING

WHAT THE PORT AUTHORITY I DOING IS MUCH LESSER SCALE IT AS MORE ROUTINE TYPE OF AN IMPROVEMENT, PUTTING A NEW DECK ON THE BRIDGE THE BRIDGE IS VITAL FO BRINGING PEOPLE FROM SOUTHERN STATEN ISLAND TO NEW JERSEY AN VICE VERSA IT'S HEAVILY USED NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS THE GOETHALS BRIDGE BU QUITE HEAVILY USED IT NEEDS, YOU KNOW, THE PASSAG OF TIME, THE CONDITION DETERIORATE AND THE BRIDGE NEEDS ATTENTION.

WILL THIS -- WHEN ALL I SAID AND DONE, -- PROVIDE MOTORISTS WITH A MOR COMFORTABLE CROSSING OR WILL I CUT DOWN ON COMMUTE TIMES AN MAKE IT AN EASIER REGION T DRIVE?

I THINK THE OUTER BRIDG CROSSING, IT WILL MAKE THE TRI ACROSS THE BRIDGE EASIER I THAT THE RUTS AND POTHOLES AND OTHER PROBLEMS WILL BE SEALE UP AND IT WILL BE A BETTER SMOOTH -- EVERYBODY ENJOYS DRIVING OVER A SMOOTH SURFACE.

RIGHT

AND SO THAT WOULD BE POSITIVE THE GROWTHALS GOETHALS BRIDGE WILL MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THA PART OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEY AND STATEN ISLAND A MUCH MOR APPEALING CONNECTION

HAVE THEY DECIDED WHAT KIND OF BRIDGE THEY WILL BUIL THERE?

IS IT IN THE PLANS ALREADY

YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW TH ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, MIKE.

IT WON'T LOOK LIKE TH CANTILEVERED THING THAT'S THER NOW.

NO, I'M SURE IT WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT DESIGN

WILL IT ADDRESS THE OVERARCHING TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT AFLICK US HERE IN THIS REGION

WELL, ONE OF THE REASONS WA THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE COULD GET EXCITED ABOUT THESE BRIDGES, BECAUSE THEY AREN'T CENTER STAGE.

AND SO THEY DON'T ANSWER ALL THE PROBLEMS AT ALL.

BUT THEY NEED -- THEY WERE ALS NEGLECTED.

BAYONNE BRIDGE, BEING SLIGHTLY USED BRIDGE, ONLY GOT INTO THE ACT, SO TO SPEAK, BECAUSE OF THE COMMERCIA SHIPPING PROBLEM AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.

AND THAT CAN'T BE OVERLOOKED IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PORT AUTHORITY RESPONDED RELATIVELY QUICKLY TO DEAL WIT THAT ISSUE, AND GODSPEED TO THAT PROJECT

BECAUSE THE FIRST PART OF THEIR NAME IS THE PORT AUTHORITY.

EXACTLY

MARTIN ROBINS, THANK YOU FO COMING IN.

OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

NEW YORK IS CONSTANTL REBUILDING AND REINVENTING ITSELF, BUT SOME NEIGHBORHOODS REMAIN LANDMARKS NO MATTER WHA CLANGSCHANGES IN AND AROUND THEM THE PERFECT EXAMPLE, THE VILLAGE.

GREENWICH VILLAGE IS THE SUBJECT OF A NEW BOOK, BY JOH STRAUSSBAUGH HE TAKES ON TH LEGENDS OF THE VILLAGE.

IT'S A HISTORY OF GREENWICH VILLAGE.

JOHN, WELCOME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

NOW, JOHN, HOW WAS GREENWIC VILLAGE BORN HOW DID IT COME TO BE

BACK WHEN NEW AMSTERDAM WAS A TINY LITTLE SETTLEMENT AT TH SOUTHERN TIP OF MANHATTAN, GREENWICH VILLAGE WAS ONE OF THE PLACES YOU WENT TO ESCAP IN THE SUMMER FROM THE HEA FROM YELLOW FEVER AND CHOLER AND GRADUALLY IT BECAME PERMANENT, LIKE A SUBURB OF NE YORK CITY.

NOW, YOU WRITE ABOUT TH GOLDEN AGE

MM-HMM.

OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, WHA WAS THAT GOLDEN AGE?

IT WAS -- THE YEARS LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR I, IT BLOOME AS AN ART NEIGHBORHOOD, AND AS A BOHEMIAN NEIGHBORHOOD AN THEY DID TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WORK TO BRING MODERN ART MODERN LITERATURE, MODER THEATER TO AMERICA AND BETWEEN WORLD WAR I AND TH RED SCARE, THAT ALL KIND O DISSIPATED

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NAME ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ERA

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE?

NOT TOO LONG.

IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE BUT AT THAT POINT, YOU HAD EDN ST. VINCENT MA LAY, AN THEODORE DRUZEER AND EUGENE O'NEILL AND MARGARET ANDERSO WHO WAS FIRST PERSON WHO PUBLISH ULYSSES, BEFORE IT WAS PUBLISHED IN PARIS JUST A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE

YOU ALSO WRITE ABOUT TH VILLAGE RENAISSANCE, THA HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER WORLD WAR II WHO AND WHAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT

THE GOLDEN AGE WA PREMATURELY NAMED.

IT WAS AFTER WORLD WAR II, THROUGH THE '50s INTO THE HE '60s THAT THE VILLAG EXPLODES AT AVANT-GARDE, BUT I MUSIC AND ART, AND OFF, OF BROADWAY AND BARNE ROSICH WHICH WAS PUBLISHING GROVE PRESS AND VILLAGE VOICE WA FOUNDED IN THE '50s AND TH FOLK MUSIC SCENE WHICH ATTRACTED BOB DYLAN GOT STARTE THEN ON EVERY FRONT, THEY WER PUSHING --

AND SOME OF THE GREAT, YO KNOW, MIDCENTURY PAINTERS

JACKSON POLLOCK, DECUNNIN AND ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WERE DOWN THERE IT WAS THE CENTER OF THE AMERICAN AVANT-GARDE AND I MADE NEW YORK THE ART CAPITA OF THE WORLD

NOW, HOW CRITICAL WAS THE VILLAG TO THE BIRTH OF TH GA RIGHTS MOVEMENT NATIONALLY

HUGELY.

IT WAS A HAVEN FOR GAYS AN LESBIANS WHERE ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA, YOU ARE A LONELY MISFIT IF YOU WERE A GA OR LESBIAN YOU WERE ALLOWED TO BE WHO YOU WERE AND ENCOURAGED TO BE WH YOU WERE INTO THE 1800s.

BY THE 1960s, THE SORT OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT FOR GA RIGHTS HAD DEVELOPED IN 1969, THERE WAS THE BIG STONEWALL UPRISING, ALSO KNOWN AS THE STONEWALL RIOT.

THIS WAS YOUNGER GAY GUYS AN LESBIANS WHO WERE JUST SICK OF BEING PUSHED AROUND.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME READING YOUR BOOK, IT WAS A THREE-DA EVENT AND NOT EVEN A CONSECUTIVE THREE DAYS O RIOTING.

AND THE THIRD NIGHT WAS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THEY WERE WRITTEN ABOUT IN TH VILLAGE VOICE OF ALL PLACES

WHICH WAS VERY FRIENDLY T THEM USUALLY AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING

THAT'S WHY THE '70s IS TH BIG DECADE FOR GAY LIBERATIO BECAUSE OF -- I REALLY THINK BECAUSE OF STONEWALL, IT EXCITED EVERYBODY.

IT INSIGHTED EVERYBODY AROUN THE COUNTRY.

NOW, THE '70s IS PRETTY DISMAL FOR NEW YORK CITY AS WHOLE.

HOW WAS IT FOR THE VILLAGE

IT WAS ACTUALLY, FOR ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, IT WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD TIME.

AS ROUGH AS IT WAS -

THAT WAS WHEN I MOVED THERE ACTUALLY

YES, YOU REMEMBER BECAUSE THE CITY SERVICES WERE SO BAD AND THE CITY WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, THERE WAS LOT OF FREE OR CHEAP SPACE T DO YOUR THEATER STUFF IN AND YOU COULD PUT ON YOUR PLAY FOR $17.

ARTISTED COULD HAVE HUGE SPACE THERE BECAUSE NOBODY WAS PAYIN ATTENTION.

TAL ABOUT THE AIDS EPIDEMIC WAS THAT WORST PERIOD FOR TH GREN RICH GREENWICH VILLAGE.

I THINK IT'S THE DARKES PERIOD IT FOLLOWS BACK TO YELLOW FEVE AND CHOLERA AND OTHER TYPES OF PLAGUES WERE COMING OUT TO THE VILLAGE, BUT IT WAS -- EVERYBODY SAID AT THE TIME, IT WAS GROUND ZERO FOR AIDS A LEAST ON THE EAST COAST AND IT DEVASTATED THE VILLAGE

YOU MAKE AN INTERESTING CONNECTION THAT I NEVER THOUGH OF BETWEEN THE AIDS EPIDEMI AND THE VILLAGE AND TH TRANSFORMATION OF THE REAL ESTATE TALK ABOUT THIS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON THAT THE VILLAGE -- A THAT TIME REAL ESTATE CHANGE AND THE VILLAGE BECAME THI MAGNET FOR MILLIONAIRES NO MISFITS BUT IT'S ONE OF THE BI ONES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION, OF THE VILLAGE, AT LEAST THE GAY POPULATION OF TH VILLAGE WAS DECIMATED AND A LO OF OTHER PEOPLE MOVED OUT.

IT HAD BECOME A DEATH ZONE AND NOBODY WANTED TO BE THERE.

AS FOLKS WERE MOVING OUT, TH REAL ESTATE PEOPLE WER STARTING TO MOVE 9 THE BANKERS AND LAWYERS AND DOCTORS IN AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WHE THAT HAPPENS, THE RENTS GO U AND SALE PRICES GO UP.

IS THE VILLAGE IN ANY FOR STILL A CULTURE?

I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY, NO, NOT A THIS POINT AT THIS POINT IT'S DECLARED DEAD AS A CULTURAL CENTER, BU THE REAL ESTATE NEEDS TO CHANGE BECAUSE ARTISTS AND SO FORTH NEED CHEAP PLACES TO WORK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

AMONG NEW YORK CITY'S GREATEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AR MANY ART MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES.

WE HAVE TWO REPORTS FROM I DON'T KNOW THE CITY LIMITS, ON FROM DOWN THE JERSEY SHORE WHERE ART IS EMERGING FROM THE RUPE INNS LEFT BEHIN BY - RUINS LEFT BEHIND BY HURRICANE SANNIE ♪

MY NAME I GARY WEISMAN AND I MAKE CLASSICAL BRONZ CULTURES THEY ARE VERY TRADITIONAL.

THE GREEKS ARE A VERY BI INFLUENCE AND ALSO THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE IS A VERY BI INFLUENCE.

I DON'T TEND TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME I TEND TO LOOK BACK IN TERMS O INFLUENCES HISTORICALLY.

WE TRAVELED TO ITALY, OH, MAYBE ONCE A YEAR FOR ABOUT THRE WEEKS AND WE DRAW EXTENSIVEL NONSTOP, NINE HOURS A DAY.

AND I FEEL SKETCH BOOKS, THE INFLUENCES ARE USED IN THE POSES I DO HERE.

MY MAIN ENERGIES ARE ON TH CLASSICAL NUDE AND I THINK THERE'S, AS FAR AS PUBLIC SELECTIONS GO, MUSEUM OUTDOO SITUATIONS, THE NUDE I WAVE BLOCKED IN THIS COUNTRY YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF THEM IN EUROPE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNO HOW CONTEMPORARY I'VE BEEN DOING SOME CANTILEVERED LIFE-SIZED PIECES BECAUSE IT'S JUST REALLY MAXIN OUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF ARCHITECTURALLY WHAT CAN A BRONZE STRUCTURALLY DO SO THEY WILL COMPLETEL HOVE HORIZONTALLY WITH NO SUPPORTS.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON NOW AR FEMALE CRUCIFIXES AND I DON' REALLY KNOW WHY.

THE PIECES HAVE BECOME A LOT MORE NARRATIVE NOW SO THAT'S KIND OF EXCITING I'M SORRY THEY ARE SO TORTURED RIGHT NOW.

YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THES THINGS YOU KNOW, YOU ARE LISTENING TO A DRAWING AS IT'S HAPPENING.

YOU ARE LISTENING TO A SCULPTURE AS IT' HAPPENING.

I'M WORKING ON EMPOWERED KIN OF PIECES WHICH ARE BASED ON GREEK HEROES WIT WEAPONS.

♪ IT'S KIND OF TRICKY BUSINESS IT'S VERY STRESSFUL.

I STARTED DOING THIS IN TH MID-'770s.

WHEN I DO THE POUR, I WILL POU 1500 TO 2,000 POUNDS IN A DA OR SO.

DURING A POUR, I HAVE MY EX-STUDENTS COME UP FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY IN PHILADELPHIA THERE'S BEEN EXPERIENTIA RAPPORT THAT I HAVE WITH THE METAL.

WOULD I DO THESE THINGS IF THE DIDN'T SELL?

YEAH, I WOULD.

I THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO ALWAY STAY, FOR ME, IN A PLACE OF NO KNOWING.

I DON'T KNOW AND FINDIN AN EXPERIENTIA CONNECTION TO IT THROUGH SOM STORM OF NONINTELLECTUAL SENSATION THAT WILL HOLD MY INTENSITY AND FOCUS.

WE ARE WRITING THE STORY.

I DON'T HAVE FINITE FIXE ENDING IT'S A EVOLUTION.

IN NEW JERSEY, ARTISTS AR FINDING INSPIRATION IN A DIFFERENT MATERIAL, TH WOOD AND DEBRIS LEFT BEHIND B SUPERSTORM SANDY.

WE REPORT ON HOW ARTISTS ARE REMEMBERING THE FAMOUS BOARDWALK AND THE STORM.

AS JERSEY SHORE TOWNS GET RID OF STORM DAMAGED DEBRIS TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW BOARDWALKS, ARTIST RODDE WILDMAN USES THAT DEBRIS T CREATE ART

THE MATERIALS WERE JUST EVERYWHERE SO I JUST GRABBED WHATEVER I CAN USE.

AFTER SANDY WILDMAN BEGAN COLLECTING EVERYTHING FROM PIECES OF DOCKS, BENCHES BOARDWAL HANKS AND PLANKS AND MORE.

THE DEBRIS IS TRANSFORMED INTO THIS IT'S CALLED A STAR BURST WILDMAN, A FORMER CONTRACTOR BEGAN CREATING THESE DESIGNS BEFORE THE STORM

THAT'S WHERE MOST OF MY WOR COMES FROM IT WAS BORN FROM WORKING O THESE HOUSES, USING TH MATERIALS OFF THESE HOUSES

THE ART WORK HAS BECOME A WAY TO MEMORIALIZE THE SHORE COMMUNITIES.

THIS PIECE INCLUDES DEBRIS FRO A NUMBER OF SHORE TOWNS.

THIS GREEN PIECE OF WOOD I FROM OCEAN GROVE'S FISHING PIE AND THIS IS FROM LONG BRANCH ALL THE TOWNS AR STAMPED INTO HIS WORK INTEREST IN THE SANDY MEMORIAL PIECES CONTINUES TO GROW SO FAR HE'S CREATED 15 WORKS O ART AND HE STILL HAS TRUCKLOAD OF SANDY-RELATED DEBRIS IN STORAGE.

VERY IMPORTANTLY, IT' SALVAGING.

IT'S REUSING THE MATERIALS AND SAVING THEM FROM BEING I LANDFILLS AND IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.

FURTHER SOUTH, HISTORIC PEN COMPANY FOUNDER, I TRANSFORMING DAMAGED BOARDWALK BLANKS IN CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS AND PENS AND MORE.

HE GOT THE IDEA IN WILDWOO WHEN HE SPOTTED A CONTRACTOR PULLING UP OLD BOARDS.

AND I ASKED HIM, WHAT DO YOU D WITH THE BOARDS.

HE POINT OVER TO A DUMPSTER AND SAYS THEY ARE GOING THERE.

JUST AS WERE CREATING THE FIRS WILDWOOD TOURNAMENT, SANDY HIT IT WAS NATURAL TO SEE IF W COULD DO THE SAME THING.

THE HISTORIC PEN COMPAN SECURED BOARDWALK ITEMS FROM POINT PLEASANT BEACH THIS IS MADE FROM THE TREX DECKING, ATLANTIC CITY AND SEASIDE HEIGHTS.

TH FAMOUS JET COASTER I ETCHED INTO THIS ORNAMENT.

THEY ARE MOST FAMOUS FOR THE PEN CREATED BY PRINCE HARRY AN NOW THE CALLS KEEP COMING IN

WE HAVE LITERALLY GOTTE ORDERS FRO OVER 40 STATES

THE PIECES HAVE BECOM ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO NE JERSEY RESIDENTS

YOU ALWAYS WANT TO CONNEC TO SOMETHING THAT YOUR ANCESTORS HAD AND THIS HAS BEEN COMMON THREAD FOR PEOPLE IN NE JERSEY FOR 50, 60 YEARS.

AND ALTHOUGH SO MANY OF THE BOARDWALKS WERE TORN APART, HE HOPES THAT SOME CAN TAKE COMFORT KNOWING THAT PIECES OF THEM CAN BE CHERISHED.

FOR METRO FOCUS, I'M LAURE WANKO IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS

THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITIO OF METRO FOCUS JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FO NEWS AND IN-DEPTH REPORTIN FROM NEW JERSEY PUBLI TELEVISION I'M RAFAEL PI ROMAN.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING FUNDER FOR THIS PROGRAM WA MADE POSSIBLE: