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Alternative energy powers alternative entertainment on the East River
By Rachel Fershleiser

August 2007

grandstreet2Outdoor movies, free dance performances, open-air concerts—there are so many reasons to skip the Hamptons and enjoy the electric summer streets of New York City. But what about all that electricity? What if the things keeping urban life great aren’t keeping it green?

Enter Solar One. The green energy, arts, and education center is an entirely solar powered building designed to inspire New Yorkers to be environmentally responsible city dwellers. Located in Stuyvesant Cove Park, where the East River meets 23rd Street, Solar One is an easy bike ride or beautiful stroll from the Lower East Side.

“One of my goals is to bring the south-of-14th-Street community up here,” says Tamar Rogoff, Solar One’s Arts Director. “I’ve lived on Avenue C for thirty years, and I’m trying to build the bridge—the bike path, especially, connects so many
neighborhoods.”

It was also Rogoff who first made the connection between a solar-powered education center and public entertainment. Originally, Solar One was a demonstration of sustainable energy; it taught conservation, but offered no real bait for a crowd. Now, Stuyvesant Cove Park is home to free outdoor concerts, films, dance shows, and each event is entirely solar-powered.

“The performances really draw people here,” Rogoff says. “It doesn’t need to be topical art, but using that energy harnessed from the sun is a way for people to experience how simple and direct it can be—the medium is the message.”

This philosophy has allowed a wide array of entertainment to grace the sustainable stage. Last month’s CitySol festival featured fifteen bands and as many visual artists. August offers films from Dr. Strangelove to Young Frankenstein, an eclectic mix of dance by new and emerging choreographers, poetry readings, folk dancing lessons, wildlife tours, and scenes from Chinese opera. Rogoff sees these arts events as a new option for busy working families, in more ways than one. “It’s an open air theatre. It’s not expensive. It’s a place to bring the kids, so you don’t even need a babysitter. You can bike over all together and there’s nothing elitist about it. It’s not just alternative energy, it’s alternative entertainment,” she explains.

So grab the bikes, grab the kids, choose a movie or musician, and head up the river. If the lovely surroundings and environmental conscience aren’t enough for you, Rogoff offers one more enticement: “When the rest of the city has blackouts, we’ll be just fine!”

Solar One, 23rd Street and the East River, events schedule at www.solar1.org


Posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 2:16 pm | Tagged in S1 in the News | posted by Dina

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