Think of Philly , and a few images come to mind – cheesesteaks , the Liberty Bell , Rocky … andLOVE Park . For the past 40 years , the Center City landmark has been one of the metropolis ’s most visited and photographed destinations . But this spring ( like , right now ) , a $ 16.5 million renovation will exit the parking lot for a twelvemonth , while the LOVE statue is relocated across the street , to Dilworth Park .
How well do you actually love the metropolis ’s most renowned park ? ( Sorry , Rittenhouse . ) From 92 - year - old skateboarder to textbook Philly governmental incompetency , here are 10 thing you ( probably ) did n’t know about the beloved park . Think about them while the fountain gets its LED implant and new light-green space .
LOVE Park was conceived while Edmund Bacon was still in college
Mr. Bacon , the city ’s most famous planner and “ The Father of Modern Philadelphia , ” was an architectural educatee at Cornell when he first included the theme of the urban ballpark as part of his senior dissertation . Edmund , by the way , is also the beginner to one ofPhilly ’s favorite famous exports .
Technically, LOVE Park’s official name is John F. Kennedy Plaza
Construction of the commons was completed in 1965 , and on May 9 , 1967 , it was give to Kennedy , which is noted in the plaza with a modest brown brass . The LOVE stuff comes a bit later .
The iconic LOVE statue first debuted in 1976
To celebrate the nation ’s bicentennial , couturier Robert Indiana lent the sculpture to the urban center , where it terminate up sitting on a two - twelvemonth extended loan until it was removed in 1978 . After some garboil – it ’s Philly after all – the statue made its way back as a permanent part of the place .
About the slanted O…
From a design standpoint , the negative blank space in the “ O ” is hard italicized so that it thread your tending back to the V. Or , you could interpret it as Indiana understood it : that making love is n’t perfect ( he was divorced multiple times ) .
The LOVE statue is pretty tiny
Official dimensions put it at 6 foot by 6 foot by 3 ft . For position , Philly ’s other most notable statue , William Penn , is 27 ft tall .
Skateboarding made LOVE Park famous
In 1985 , Spike ’s Skates opened as one of the East Coast ’s first skateboard shops , and by the early ' XC , Philly was producing some of the best skateboarders in the country . Thanks to its smooth granite and multiple “ natural ” jump , LOVE Park apace became a mecca for local and national skaters , making the park famous countrywide .
Philly has banned skating (multiple times) in LOVE Park
Because we ca n’t have dainty matter , the city , of course , has banned skating multiple time in LOVE park . The first time was in 1995 , but enforcement was fairly loose – after all , Mayor Ed Rendell ’s Word was a skateboarder . Then in 2000 , City Council banned all skateboarding on public attribute , writing a law that specifically target skating in JFK Plaza .
To protest the ban, 92-year-old Edmund Bacon skateboarded through the park
The dude was the man .
The X Games almost reinstated skateboarding
DC Shoes offered $1 million to allow skaters back in
Yep . DC offered Philly a million bucks to give up skaters back into the park for 10 years – a architectural plan that was supported by most of the public – but Mayor John Street turned down the musical theme . Which , as it turns out , was probably the only clip John Street plough down free money …
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Dan McKaynever make a picture in front of the LOVE statue , and now it ’s too late … damn . you may see his other photos by following him onInstagramorTwitter@dannypageviews .
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Flickr/Melody Joy Kramer
Flickr/AI R
