And that's why the grass in Central Park looks so crummy, and the grass in Paris looks so good. By the way, you guys should come play at the Jardins de Ranelagh. None of the pelouses are interdit, and I've never seen a guard. Plus, there are ping pong tables!

# posted by Lisa : 10:51 AM  

I'm not trying to be a geek here, but I just came across an interesting concept on the internet where you can make a bit of extra cash by using their search engine (which is actually Google) to find stuff on the web. It really does seem to be kinda neat. Check it out! It never hurts just to read about the concept!

Go here:
Site where you can make money just by searching with Google!

# posted by Anonymous : 11:05 AM  

well, I just think you've missed the whole point with this grass thing. You might just want to lay it to rest.

# posted by NARDAC : 12:03 PM  

Hi Auntie !

This is a message I have just sent to "pay-pup", the company apparently responsible for posting the "geek" message above:

Hello.

Posting anonymous messages on blogs to incite users to connect to your services is unwarranted and immoral.

Should this continue unabated, angry users might be forced to organize an international boycott, as well as to inform the press volubly and repeatedly of your unethical business practice.

You really should cease this before it gets out of hand.

L'Amerloque

I encourage all of you who are unhappy about this type of "viral marketing" to make your views known to the company responsible. Only in that way can blogs such as this one be preserved.


L'Amerloque

# posted by L'Amerloque : 12:30 PM  

Back to the grass thing...The NY park folks apparently deemed certain types of attendees of large gatherings at Central Park "rougher" on the grass than others. So the number of large gatherings allowed has been reduced and the ratio for classical types of events such as the symphony, has increased because these attendees are seen as "less rough on the grass".

Gosh a better way can be had. We had a golf open (the US)near our house where the sponsors and the Open themselves had to commit dollars ahead of time to guarantee the grass is put back to normal (actually ended up being better) state.

I tend to think the French take care of their "grass issues" better - they do invest alot more in the parks than many in the US. The French parks are gorgeous.
Terry in SF

# posted by Anonymous : 2:39 PM  

What good are gorgeous parks if you can't "walk, lay, play ball, or breathe on the grass" ????

# posted by Anonymous : 8:20 PM  

INCREDIBLE.

# posted by irene : 8:26 PM  

Hi !

>>What good are gorgeous parks
>>if you can't "walk, lay, play ball,
>>or breathe on the grass" ????

Actually, we had some nice exchanges on this very issue a short while back (smile) at:

((http://parisdaily.hi-fipop.com/2005/04/busy-day.html#comments))



L'Amerloque

# posted by L'Amerloque : 8:29 PM  

50,000!!! So funny!

# posted by Becca : 10:48 PM  

I will have to read that article! I read the NY times online! Yeah Central Park is the only green space available so I understand about the super protectiveness.

# posted by mrsmogul : 1:32 AM  

Having lived in both cities I can say that the French parks are definitely prettier. However, when I think of parks, I think of kids playing on them. Most parents in these two cities don't have a backyard, so what good is a park if you can't play on the grass? As with most subjects regarding the differences between the US & France, wouldn't it be great if you could have a little of both...but really, who would want that---we would have nothing to bitch about!
CMAC

# posted by Anonymous : 2:29 AM  

CMAC, yes, yes, true, true. Terry in SF

# posted by Anonymous : 2:38 AM  

I've always thought of grass as natures carpet. Even if there is a path, I'd prefer the grass.

A plus to the Paris grass attitude is you won't get itchy from laying in the grass.

*always trying to find the bright side*

# posted by BohemianMama : 2:51 AM  

Here in the south of France, where I live, we DO have the 'right' to play on the grass. Yet another reasoon why Parisians can be a bit 'coincé' at times.

# posted by Sammy : 9:23 AM  

Hi, I am here via Agog and Aghast! I thought I would pop by because I LOVE Paris! (I visited for only a few days in 2000). My partner and I named our daughter Monet Lulu, a lovely french name so I feel like she is a little bit french - though we are both Australian. Don't mind me as I poke around (I just LOVE all your photos!) Cheers.

# posted by Melody : 9:50 AM  

As a New Yorker, one of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the rotating grass in Bryant Park. Most of the big fashion shows in New York take place in a huge system of tents covering the entire grass area of Bryant Park. Although they are not permanent, these massive tent constructions entirely kill the grass every single time. So every time they have one of these events (which happens several times a year) the city lays down new sod and reseeds the park. Every single time. Good thing my tax dollars are going to such a worthy cause of cleaning up the parks after the rich fashionistas roll out of town...

# posted by Jon : 4:57 PM  

Auntie M, I guess I missed your Busy Day, 4/19 blog entry. You sure know your French and how to respond appropriately! I can see how ironic your situation was. (Hmm you have created a hot topic here!) Terry in SF

# posted by Anonymous : 3:52 AM  

Yes, that's me, the cranky runner telling people running on the grass instead of on the dirt path along the palisades in Santa Monica to stay off. The grass in Parisian parks looks lovely for everyone because it isn't ruined by a few selfish jerks.

Blog comments spam, by the way (and hello, L'Amerloque, and thanks for leading me here), is vandalism and theft. The best way to stop them is to copy the entire piece of spam, complete with IP address and time, search out details in ARINWhoIs (to look up IP address) -- http://www.arin.net/whois/ -- then report them to abuse@whoevertheirinternetaccesscompoany is.com...copying in those details into your email. You should also look up their web host and report them there as well:
http://registrar.verisign-grs.com/whois/?from=ql064

For those of us on Movable Type blogs, there's that lifesaver, Jay Allen, and MTBlacklist.

http://www.jayallen.org/projects/mt-blacklist/

# posted by Amy Alkon : 1:26 AM