[NormsRevenge]

City officials had said the expected crowd at the Aug. 29 rally, which could exceed 250,000 people, would damage the grass.

That much fertilizer (BS) in one spot is liable to burn the grass pretty bad... plus the stench must be ,,uugghhhhh!

[wtc911]

Sad to say the lawn areas in CP have become a symbol of the "image is everything" governance of NYC (speficically Manhattan) that started under Rudy.

In the 60s through to the early 90s the park belonged to New Yorkers, not New York. If you were looking for a pick-up baseball or football game all you had to do was show up and there was plenty to join. Now, football is verboten except in tiny mishapen pockets on uneven ground. Try to have a catch with your ten year old and a Park Ranger will chase you away or write a ticket.

Same with soft/baseball. Although you can get a permit to play on the different sets of fields. Try to use a vacant field without getting a permit though and you'll be stopped.

The large grassy area (Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn) are fenced off with limited access points. Any grassy area where a family might have pic-nicked is shut off too. Now the park is the domain of foreign tourists and out-of town yuppie transplants. It's prettier, cleaner but it ain't NYC.