Quisqueya Plaza: NYC’s Point of Pride 2023

Inwood’s popular Dyckman Plaza has officially been renamed Quisqueya Plaza.

At a ceremony on February 27 coinciding with Dominican Republic Independence Day, city officials unveiled a “Quisqueya Plaza” street sign for the plaza, located on the block of Dyckman Street between Broadway and Seaman Avenue.

Opened during the pandemic as one of the first roadways in the city’s Open Streets program, the stretch of Dyckman has been closed to vehicle traffic ever since, used instead for outdoor dining by several restaurants as well as community events.

It was made a permanent plaza in 2021.

At the ceremony, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez announced that the city would invest $7 million to make capital upgrades to the plaza.

“We are taking the dream of livability, sustainability, a beautiful city and turning it into a reality, making big investment in our public spaces, supporting our local small businesses, and improving the quality of life that draws so many people to live and work here,” said Rodríguez.

“This plaza’s used more than for people coming in, sitting down, enjoying beautiful days. It is an economic magnet where people come and eat here, socialize, have an opportunity right near transportation,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “The vibrancy of Dyckman Street really anchors the entire community.”

Initially known as Dyckman Plaza, the space has been informally referred to as Quisqueya Plaza since 2021. The street sign installation makes the designation official.

The Taino name Quisqueya, which means “the mother of all islands,” is a reference to the Caribbean island that is home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

During the pandemic, the plaza served as a haven for local residents, allowing them to spend time outdoors, dine more safely, or enjoy live music and other community events.

City Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa expressed hope that the plaza would serve as a destination for residents from other parts of the city.

“Our message to you is, come uptown. We have the food, we have the culture, we have the space,” she said.

Kevin Kim, Commissioner of NYC Small Business Services, noted that the plaza served as a lifeline to restaurants on the block, which could use the space for outdoor dining in the height of the pandemic.

“We know that these plazas are so critical to small businesses,” said Kim. “During the pandemic…we had an increase of 10 percent of new businesses in areas that had these plazas. It saved over 100,000 jobs.”

“We saw this community devastated by the effects of Covid, particularly small businesses and restaurants that were hit really hard,” said Henry Garrido, President of municipal worker union DC 37, which includes members who maintain the plaza for DOT. “This was a very good indication of how open streets can work in communities other than downtown Manhattan. It works if you promote economic development for small businesses and provide space that the community can enjoy. It could serve as an example for the rest of the city.”

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine called the plaza “an incredible vindication of what we can do when we think creatively about our precious street space.”

“[The] investment of $7 million here will really make this a model of what public space can be, reinventing streets. This is the start of an exciting new chapter for Dyckman Plaza, featuring a brand-new street naming,” he said.

The city’s funding will be used for a capital reconstruction of the plaza that includes pedestrian safety and bike lane enhancements, said DOT’s Director of Public Space Emily Weidenhof.

“We’ll really work to totally reimagine this space. It will no longer feel like a street,” she said. “The whole plaza will be one level. We’ll be able to add some additional greening, we’ll be able to make a little more sense of the bike lane and connect it as one comprehensive public space in the neighborhood.”

Though the renamed plaza is synonymous with celebrating the heritage of Inwood’s largely Dominican population, local restaurateur Cirilo Moronta said he hoped to see the plaza used to celebrate a variety of cultures.

“This is a community plaza,” he said. “It’s for everyone.”

Source: https://www.manhattantimesnews.com/point-of-pride-punto-de-orgullo/