REVIEWS

Ode to City Scaffolding

— Dani Alvarez

Observations from the lens of a temporary structure that’s perhaps taken for granted

The following is a cento poem created using articles written between 2013-2021 about the presence of scaffolding throughout New York City.

Ubiquitous eyesore[3]

Unpopular structure[5]

Dark, trash-strewn haven for vagrants[5]

Drab and dreary[7]

Annoying but necessary 

part of life in the city[8]

Claustrophobic labyrinth[3]

A massive inconvenience[9]

Tends to overstay[2] So pervasive[3]

Unwelcome part of 

the city landscape[5]

A necessarily evil[7] Unloved[2]

Much-maligned[7]

Dark, dank, and drippy[3]

Blight on the city[3]

Unsightly structure[5]

Obnoxious, albeit necessary[3]

It is early June and the humidity has decided it will no longer be held by the sky. Rain lets loose violently onto us, the people of the sidewalks.  

We amass under you, (ubiquitous eyesore). You shield us from the storm as we attempt to mend our turned-out umbrellas. 

We laugh together at the unexpectedness, the utter force of the wind, our luck in finding you, (unpopular structure), and nod to welcome all soaked newcomers under our (dark, trash-strewn haven for vagrants).

Once the squall has eased, we leave, a bit more dry than those without you, (drab and dreary).

It is early June and the person in Apt 5A must have a burrito, now. 

The man on his bike sighs relief when he pulls up to you, (annoying but necessary part of life in the city). An iron chain clinks, snuggles, and locks the aluminum frame against your (unsightly structure). He runs up the stairs to deliver his foil wrapped ward, just in time for a five-star review.  The man returns, out of breath, unlocks, has a smoke; then gives a nod to the next man using you for locking, too.

It is early June and we are gathered here today to commemorate, to call for change. 

Streets and sidewalks flood with us until the only place to go is up you, (much maligned). 

We tie canvas to your uprights with painted pleas for change. Our sneakers climb atop your horizontals and your cross bracing keeps our balance as we cry names of those lost to brutality:

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Rayshard Brooks, Daniel Prude, Atatiana Jefferson, Aura Rosser, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Freddie Gray, Janisha Fonville, Eric Garner… There are not enough words in this essay to keep listing, but you, (claustrophobic labyrinth), over 1,749,492 feet long[1], could hold all of their names, if we let you. 

We begrudge you, (massive inconvenience), but you know your worth. 

You are reusable, reliable, adaptable. You protect us from crumbling facades, masonry bits and bricks.

Your height and shape, (so pervasive), are predetermined. You must wear the color of hunter green and allow for pedestrian traffic, amongst other provisions in the NYC Building Code, Chapter 33.

You (tend to overstay), but you can’t help it. Local Law 11 keeps you, (a necessary evil), in place.

Designers have tried to change you, (an unwelcome part of the city landscape), fundamentally. But to no avail.

Because you do this job well, your beautification is not considered a priority.[3] 

But we should prioritize you, (blight on the city).  

Allow us to regard you, (unloved) with new love and respect. 

Adorn you, (obnoxious, albeit necessary), like we might our own dorm rooms, in twinkle lights and posters of our favorite bands. 

Dress you up, (dark, dank, and drippy), festively with a new coat of hot pink or perhaps, some sweet ivy.

And if ever they say that you require more “class”, please remind them: 

Our trimmings won’t be there forever, and neither will you, dear scaffold.

References:

[1] “Active Sidewalk Shed Permits as of 6/30/2021,” NYC DOB | Sidewalk Sheds Map. [https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/html/sidewalk-shed-map.html].

[2] “The Unloved Sidewalk Shed Gets the Beauty Treatment,” Habitat Magazine, September 14, 2017. [.https://www.habitatmag.com/layout/set/amphtml/Publication-Content/Building-Operations/2017/2017-September/Beautiful-Sidewalk-Sheds].

[3] Matt A.V. Chaban, “The Sidewalk Shed, a Ubiquitous New York Eyesore, Gets a Makeover,” The New York Times, August 24, 2015. [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/nyregion/the-sidewalk-shed-ubiquitous-new-york-eyesore-gets-a-makeover.html].

[4] Alia Chugtai, “Know their names: Black People Killed by Police in the US,” Al Jazeera, 2020. [https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/know-their-names/index.html].

[4] Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, Julia Marsh, and Georgett Roberts, “Some scaffolds in NYC have been up for more than 13 years,” New York Post, December 3, 2019. [https://nypost.com/2019/12/03/some-scaffolds-in-nyc-have-been-up-for-more-than-13-years/].

[5] Michael Herzenberg, “City Scaffolding Permits Up By More than a Third in 2.5 Years,” Spectrum News NY 1, September 18, 2020. [https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/09/18/city-scaffolding-permits-up-by-more-than-a-third-in-2-5-years].

[6] Sam Roberts, “Coming Soon to the Sidewalks: A New Look for Scaffolding,” The New York Times, November 30, 2011. [https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/coming-soon-to-the-sidewalks-a-new-look-for-scaffolding/].

[8] Peter Scallion, “Sidewalk Sheds: A Necessary Annoyance,” Better Buildings Blog, RAND Engineering & Architecture, DPC, March 25, 2013. [https://randpc.com/blog/sidewalk-sheds-a-necessary-annoyance/].

[9] Streeteasy Team, “Why Is There So Much Scaffolding in NYC,” StreetEasy Reads, June 5, 2018. [https://streeteasy.com/blog/scaffolding-nyc-why-so-much-scaffolding-new-york-city/].

Dani Alvarez is a visual artist and poet who is interested in highlighting the beauty of commonly overlooked things. She is now living in Tucson, Arizona, however, was located in New York City when she participated in the 2021 WriteON workshop series, Amend.

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