Echo in Madison Square Park

If you're down in the Flatiron District, be sure to swing by Madison Square Park. After you get your burger at Shake Shack, have a seat and stare at the enormous sculpture they've just erected in the center of the park.

No, the picture is not stretched at all.

She's called Echo, designed by a Spanish artist named Jaume Plensa, from Barcelona. The idea, according to Madison Square Park's art page, was to build an elongated sculpture that represented the skyscrapers surrounding the park, but make the sculpture tranquil and serene to represent the peacefulness of the park.

I thought it was crazy when I first saw it, but I ate my pizza on a bench staring straight at her (apparently, it's the face of a 9 year-old daughter of one of the artist's friends) and it really added to the tranquility of the park. It's like a yoga-osmosis relaxation thing. I left the park feeling more relaxed than usual.

Just try it. You'll see. The sculpture is there through August 14.