Myriad Botanical Gardens needs restaurant

[Patrick]

I've always thought the glass bridge just west of the Crystal Bridge would make a nice restaurant. Maybe a cafe with a rainforest theme, or something. The bridge I'm talking about is located behind the Shakespeare crew in this pic:

[Patrick]

Leasing that space out would give some funds to the Myriad Gardens to help with upkeep and maintence of the gardens.

[jbrown84]

It's pretty narrow, but it would be a very unique space with great views.

[BailJumper]

That space is an eyesore as it is utilized/under utilized now. Mostly storage if I remember correctly.

A cafe type restaurant would be nice. Don't really know how much business it would do year round, but good idea.


Ohhhhhhh - the Endangered Cafe! They could serve tasty endangered animals for all to enjoy. What was the name of that movie with that theme? Ended up being a scam if i remember correctly.

[Patrick]

It's pretty narrow, but it would be a very unique space with great views.

They could have tables on the sides near the windows, with a center aisle down the middle.

[jbrown84]

They'd have to be 2-person tables, and it would still be a very narrow isle. Just think about how wide it is when you walk on top of it.

[Grape Ape]

They really should do something with that area. The movie you are trying to think of is "The Freshman".

[metro]

How about Rainforest Cafe??

[jbrown84]

I was there yesterday taking advantage of free admission for my mom (pics coming soon), and I am shocked about some of the neglect. The signage is extremely dated and in some cases practically falling over. And pretty much everything white is in DIRE need of a paint job. It's just paint! We can renovate the whole Bridge, but can't paint the rails and such that are all rusty. The worst is the enterance kiosks on Hudson. They look like they haven't been painted since the Gardens opened in the 80's.

[HOT ROD]

that could be due to the arts festival tho...

but yes, the park should be properly maintained.

as for the restaurant, I think it is a great idea. If the bridge is too small, espand it!

It doesn't have to be a large restaurant, 50 or so patrons at a time would do. That would make it rather exclusive, and add to the appeal and the ambiance of the restaurant - and justify the prices to be charged!!!

[kevinpate]

Don't recall the sized, but is it narrower than a rail car? i seem tor ecall Amtrak could seat in booths of four on both sides and yeah, the isle was kinda narrow but it mostly worked well.

[HOT ROD]

I think it is wider, but you;d also need to have somewhere to prepare the food. But nonetheless, the glass bridge could be expanded with probably very little effort - yet would become the top restaurant location in the city; a true PARK 5-Star Restaurant.

Could be called something like, "Chateau in the Gardens!!" a fine french restaurant!

[Patrick]

Yeah, the trolley in Spaghetti Warehouse has four seat tables on either side, with an aisle down the middle, and I know it's narrower than the bridge. Also, there's a large storage room just to the south of the bridge....attached to the bridge....that could be turned into a kitchen. This space is way underutilized.

[jbrown84]

Yeah, basically it's like a long hallway going from the stairwell on the north side of the gardens, through that bridge, and around to the Crystal Bridge's basement. There's definitely room for a kitchen back there.

Another thing is, they haven't done a thing to the Water Stage yet to prepare for Shakespeare in the Park, and shouldn't that be starting any time?

[CuatrodeMayo]

How about Rainforest Cafe??

Perfect.

[jbrown84]

Nowhere near big enough for that.

[CuatrodeMayo]

True. I was thinking expansion underground.

[jbrown84]

I don't think this is the place for a tourist trap restaurant. I'm thinking nice little romantic cafe with great views. Outside of the bridge you would just have concrete walls and that wouldn't be very good atmosphere for dining areas.

[CuatrodeMayo]

In a Rainforest Cafe the wall are not bare. They have no windows, but they are not necessary.

I have no problem with a small cafe within the space already there. That would be much more feasible. The thought was a rainforest cafe as a part of a real (or at least not plastic) rainforest would be kinda neat. The only thing I care about is doing something with an interesting empty space.

Yes, an amtrak dining car and the trolley in SW are compact dining spaces. The problem is the bridge would be a main corridor within the restaurant as well as a bridge over water, subjecting it to strict building code regs. If you are lucky, you get 2 2-person table with an asile between, but more-than-likey you would only get 1 table.

[metro]

They could reconstruct/configure the bridge to make it feasible. We live in a day and age where we're not limited by building design, money can do a whole lot these days if the price is right.

I do like entertaining this idea of adding a restaurant to the Myriad Gardens, I think we need one. One of NYC's most exclusive restaurants is in Central Park, Tavern on the Green. It doesn't have to be big either, just a 50 seat restaurant for dates would be good.

[jbrown84]

I don't think it's worth tearing the bridge down and starting over. If it can fit in there, great, if not, let's do something else with it. What was intended when it was originally built?

[Patrick]

I was thinking more in line of a small cafe to compliment the Myriad Gardens. Something similar to the cafe at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum or the cafe at the OKC MOA.