Pop - up Park Coming to Uptown! | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    This Friday, September 19, 2014, Greenville joins the global movement to transform parking spaces into public parks, Park(ing) Day. The loading zone on Evans Street outside of StarLight Cafe will become an urban park, complete with benches, bistro tables, a fountain, grasses and trees, carpeting and more.

    "We are thrilled to see the idea of urban parks gain momentum in Uptown Greenville," said Uptown Greenville Executive Director Bianca Shoneman. "One of the reasons people love to come here is because there's always a surprise. We keep things exciting with constant reminders about what's so great about being Uptown. Where else in Greenville will you find a day-long pop-up park with tables, benches and live music? Only Uptown. Join us!"

    PARK(ing) Day, celebrated annually on the third Friday of September since 2005, was begun by San Francisco-based ecological art and design studio Rebar. "In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution," said Rebar's Matthew Passmore. "The planning strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape."

    Grab a coffee and head over to the PARK(ing) space at 8 a.m. to watch the morning unfold in a new way. At 12 p.m., the Wright School of Music will further enhance the ambiance with talented players. The fun runs through 8 p.m., with the final few hours coinciding with Uptown Greenville's second Freeboot Friday of the season.

    The Tipsy Teapot, StarLight Cafe, the Scullery and Cinnamon Indian Cuisine will be offering brown bag specials all day to encourage visitors downtown make the most of the park-for-a-day.

    Sponsors for Uptown Greenville's PARK(ing) Day include Black Tree Media Group, Signature Jordan, the East Group, Jefferson's, Rivers & Associates, Worthington Farms Nursery, ECU Grounds Department and the NC American Society of Landscape Architects, Coastal Section.

    To see a global map of all participating cities, visit the PARK(ing) Day website at parkingday.org.


    For more information about Uptown Greenville, go to uptowngreenville.com or call Director Bianca Shoneman at (252) 561-8400. Contact Carl Rees, Economic Development Manager with the City of Greenville at crees@greenvillenc.gov or (252) 329-4510 or Kelsey Anderson - (828)329-5309, Kelsey@uptowngreenville.com