The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift Might Be a Hunk of LOVE Park Granite

Take home a piece of history with a LOVE Park granite keepsake. Photo by M. Fischetti for VISIT PHILADELPHIA™

There are many reasons why one might want to purchase a slab of granite from the old LOVE Park. Maybe you’re a nostalgia-tripper, someone who resents the new design and wants to remember the old park. Maybe you’re a skateboarder bemoaning the death of the skateboard mecca that was the original LOVE Park. Or maybe you’re just a diehard Philadelphian who loves love. The word’s in our name, after all.

Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to know that, a day before the year’s most love-filled holiday, the city Parks and Recreation Department is setting up shop at the renovated park, selling 200 pieces of granite carved with the words “Love Park.”

This isn’t the first time the city’s tried to sell LOVE Park mementos. In November 2017, the city marketed some 250 etchings using Indiana’s “LOVE” imagery, only to receive a cease-and-desist note an hour before the sale began. The image, you see, was still under copyright.

“We incorrectly assumed we had permission to use the likeness,” a Parks and Rec spokesperson told the Inquirer at the time.

Needless to say, people were disappointed.

After waiting in line for 2.5 hrs a complete cluster – theyre not selling them today, they don’t even have them. No timeline or guarantee they will be sold! #PRfail, tho I did get to hang w/ some great #Philly peeps! https://t.co/Sw3uI8Jfg7 … @koryaversa @myphillypark @LOVE_Park pic.twitter.com/9iBRhaelFm

— Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN (she/they) 🏳️‍🌈 (@marionleary) November 24, 2017

But the story had a happy ending. In January, 14 months later, the city finally came to an agreement with the foundation that protects the work of Indiana, who died last year. The stipulation: The city could only sell the original 250 etchings — and the foundation would like two of them for its own collection. People who signed up for a waiting list back in November 2017 were able to pick up the originals a few weeks ago, after waiting in yet another line.

@PhilaParkandRec Finally got my Love Park Granite Keepsake…waited over 3 hours, 12th in line last year only to find out there was No Love to be had💔I honestly thought we would never get them. But the day did come …Yay. @PhiladelphiaGov @visitphilly @LOVEParkPhilly pic.twitter.com/yIfDlSxviG

— Emi (@levy_emi) February 5, 2019

The new carvings that the city’s selling on Wednesday morning at the park no longer include Indiana’s iconic image. This time, you’ll get just a plain text version, surrounded by a heart.

https://twitter.com/myphillypark/status/1095351828558929921

If you want one of the new carvings, you’ll need to get to LOVE Park quick: The city made only 200 units. They go on sale at 11 a.m. and cost $51 — with proceeds benefitting LOVE Park as well as urban skater group SkatePhilly. Check out more info about the event here.