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Succumbing to the bleak weather that comes with winter in NYC, trees in the West Village have given up all hope of looking cute and are instead bundling up in as many layers as possible.
Since last year, the greenery between Bleecker and Hudson Streets in the West Village have been decorated with hand-knit outerwear created by arts-and-crafts expert Holly Boardman. Looking like the decorations in your grand-grandmother’s parlor, the sweaters come in a variety of colors and patterns, from rainbow patchwork to a neon yellow and purple combo.
However, the trees received some bad news last week: The Parks Department called for the removal of the sweaters. It blamed the cardigans for trapping moisture and growing fungus, and it’s not wrong: If you’ve ever worn a damp sweater, you know it’s insanely uncomfortable.
However, local businesses claim the tree koozies are bringing in customers who want to Instagram ‘em, and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver quickly changed his mind.
"The tree sweaters can stay! We love this way of celebrating our street trees," he tweeted. "If you want to knit a tree sweater or another decoration, make sure the tree stays healthy by first submitting a tree work permit."
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