I had my 21st birthday on the Hill in 200?. I saw Buddy, had my first Martini, and then proceeded to walk in the fountain. No body cared because nobody was there. It was a Friday night in August. The square was empty and the only sound was the bubbling water. Maybe it was midnight. Maybe.

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Yesterday, at around 11am, I'm making the rounds for a dinner party I'm preparing. Pastiche, Venda, Gasbarro's, Roma, Scialo Bros. Bakery. I parked over by Pastiche because the tart needs to be the last thing I pick up since it can't sit in the car while I finish running errands. Trying to walk from Pastiche to Venda, through DePasquale Square was a minefield. There were no "dining al fresco" people at 11am. The waiters from the restaurants were slinging plastic chairs everywhere and one almost hit me as I walked by. There's no clear path through the square. I was bobbing and weaving through a maze of planters and unoccupied tables. Why isn't there a path through the middle? These restaurants survived just fine 20 years ago without expanding their table tops by 100% with out dining. La Dolce Vita always had outdoor dining, but it never expanded to what it is now. It's a little ridiculous.

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I can understand setting aside space for performances and concerts, but to relinquish all of the public park space to private businesses does not make sense. If I was in a wheelchair, I don't think I could have gotten through the park at all.