Treasure Island

Touring Ridge Hill, an oasis on a hill in Yonkers, is a shopper’s delight.  But it also has some hidden treasures (besides H&M, Lord & Taylor and The Limited).  Smack dab in the middle of this elegant island of retail is a Tom Otterness playground for children.  It’s huge feet have little people in between their toes. Called Big Girl, it is one of a number of playgrounds that the well-known sculptor has designed as oversized-stranger-than-fiction figures made of brass. Big Girl is a jewel of a lady and is jam-packed with humor as well as the little brass people that scatter subway benches and cozy corners in some of his other installations. Otterness has done some six playgrounds, several of which resemble the tin man in the Wizard of Oz.  The Ridge Hill folks tell us that shopping can be fun, but shopping with art all around can be more fun.  They are planning several murals to add to the ones that they have already installed.  Stay tuned.