Park Bench Tid Bits

Park benches and other public seating help build community in town centers and other public spaces. In a busy environment, the best place for benches is within view of the action, but out of the way of the flow of pedestrian traffic.

Park benches add comfort to the outdoors. They provide a place to relax, breathe deep, and observe nature. Benches allow you to enjoy the weather and a delicious lunch at the same time. A perfect place to read a newspaper or a good book. In urban spaces, park benches make a relaxing spot away from the workplace and a perfect place for people-watching.

Particularly appreciated by the elderly and disabled, public benches often make outdoors activities—from shopping to hiking—possible for them that would be too exhausting without a place to rest.

Benches that are likely to be used by disabled people should be spaced so that wheelchairs can be accommodated at the side or in front of the bench so that the people using the wheelchairs can converse with people seated on the benches without being forced into pedestrian traffic.

Did you know?

New York City's Central Park has more than 9,000 park benches, which would stretch seven miles if placed end to end?

Park benches were improved during the Great Depression.The bench Tom Hanks sits on in "Forrest Gump" is a bench made with wood slats and a concrete supports. The design for this particular bench was introduced in Central Park during the early years of the Depression as a better and more sturdy bench for people to sleep on.

Benches were made popular by Martha Stewart in the 1980's when she started using them inside her home as well as outdoors. Pictures were released of her homes in Connecticut and on Long Island showing rustic style benches in her foyers and offices. People loved the idea and emulated her design motif.

Funny story involving park benches

Hugh Charles Troy, Jr. (1906 - 1964) was a US painter who is noted for his pranks. In New York City, Troy would visit Central Park carrying a park bench he had bought. Police, suspecting he was trying to steal it, arrested him a number of times. He always presented the bill of sale and was released.

Hugh got his revenge by coordinating with a number of friends to take the park benches all at the same time. Because the police thought it was "that guy with the bill of sale" again none of the bench thieves were stopped as they walked out of the park.

What do soda bottles and park benches have in common?

Most materials can also be recycled into different products. Plastic soda bottles can become carpet fiber or park benches; the rubber from used tires can be used for floor mats, or as an additive in asphalt. In fact, there are four materials -- steel, aluminum, glass bottles and jars, and molded pulp containers (e.g., cardboard egg cartons) -- that always have a significant amount of recycled content even though many are not usually labeled.

Park Benches make the news in a political way

A federal judge ruled this week that Ohioans can cast ballots next Tuesday even if their "residence" is a park bench or street grating. U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus says that voters, presumably the homeless, need not have an actual address in order to vote and help determine whether Ohio's crucial 20 electoral votes go to the Republican presidential ticket of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin or the Democratic ticket of Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

The lawsuit was brought by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, whose attorney claimed that local election officials had made the ridiculous assertion that they needed actual addresses to verify and accept legitimate voters.

Comedian, Conan O'Brien on hearing this Ticket news said “A judge in Ohio has ruled that homeless people are allowed to vote and that they can list their home address as 'a park bench.' Ohio officials say that a park bench may not be the most traditional place to live –- but it’s still a lot nicer than Cleveland.”