Andre Chenier's New Look

Pea-graveled alle

Redone center of the park

Let me first say that I liked the old Andre Chenier, and not because it was especially beautiful.  It was a community park in a true sense of the word.  There were benches in the shade where old geezer men would gather to ogle women and solve all of the city's/country's/world's problems.   There was a cool playground where moms brought their children for physical activity to wear them out so they'd nap properly.  

Water once again

Fountains and obelisk

The old Christmas market was there--with the rides, like the luge and the little huts selling hot cider and churros.  I went to a vide-grenier there--a flea market--it was a perfect space for that.  I saw my first Feria there and was smitten--you could tell that it was a place for locals; it seemed like everyone knew everyone else.  I bought a wonderful pain during the  Bread Festival there.  Local groups used the park, and to good ends.

new seating

Bistro\s new expanded outdoor seating

Mayor Larrat put it on his list of places that needed sprucing up.  He'd already turned Place Gambetta into a rose garden, which is lovely.  But, that forced out the Arab market on Saturday--now it's crammed into the greenspace on Blvd Barbes.  It also forced out the Christmas Market huts--now they are all crammed around the ice rink at Place Carnot, and are maybe only 1/3 of their number when they had room at Place Gambetta.  Now it was Andre Chenier's turn.

Fountains and monument

water once again flows

The park itself and the surrounding streets have been torn to hell and for nearly a year. The street crossing moves practically from day to day and one day, the bus stop simply disappeared.  I think they finally put it back in its original place this morning, so everyone who got used to the old location will be bewildered for a while.  The taxi stand is gone and I don't know what they have done with the marble and the plaque that stood near it.  I felt so awful for the businesses along the street to the train station--half the time they were impossible to get to, and the entrances seemed to be secrets.

To be unveiled

The grand unveiling party is this weekend.  I won't be here for it, so I wanted to get some photos while it is still in its relatively pristine state.  I cannot for the life of me, see what took so very long.  The broad expanse of the square is now concrete.  The side alley-ways are pea gravel, so there will still be dust, just like the old Chenier.  The end by the Hotel Terminus has been leveled and set with paving stones, but smooth, even ones, not cobbles.  I can't tell if the street will ever again be open to cars who are wanting to get to the train station.  Because of the canal, and one-way streets, it will be a bit of a jog to get there now, if you're in a car.  

The fountains are running again, which is nice, but at least two of them are in full operational mode.  There's a fixture atop the one closest to the bus stop that I guess has some electrical features and will hopefully be unwrpped for Saturday's festivities.  The main cemented part of the park seems like a desert to me..  I am so hoping that the park will once again be home to the community groups' festivities.

broad expanse of---cement?

From the Plant Garden "end"

new seating does not invite smooching

At the far end of the park, they;ve put in a plant garden, with a sign to that effect along Boulevard Omar Sarat.  But the letters aren't very tall and are hard to distinguish from their surroundngs...you've passed it by the time you realize it's pointing out a feature.  Maybe once the hedges behind it mature, it will stand out better.  But the letters do seem awfully small.  

the sign from behind

and from the street

The plant garden itself is lovely, even if it is a little nondescript.  I think there will have to be some fairly regular maintenance to keep down the weeds.  Throughout the plantings are rectangular blocks of granite--I think they are purely decorative, as you cannot get close enough to them to read any possible inscription on them.  Or sit on them.  I will say that seating is plentiful throughtout the plant garden, and given as it's really the only shade, will probably get a lot of summertime use.  

pretty, dappled path in the Plant Garden

I am trying to keep an open mind and not complain about the lack of esthetics, lack of greenery, the excessive time it took, the expense.  I will adopt a wait and see attitude, but today, the face on the underside of the fountain and I seemed to be of the same mind.

My sentiments exactly