I discovered that Matchmaker Café and public space had a lot in common. My philosophy in my dating business is that people have to connect in the real world, out in the public domain.

These three New York City parks -- Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, and Union Square Park - all have slightly different structures running them. What they have in common is their corporate makeup.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not invent the concept of the "public-private partnership." But he has aggressively pushed "private money" within the New York City Parks system, particularly under former Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, who left last year.

New York under Bloomberg and his DOT is remaking itself into a city known for its parks, open space and complete streets philosophy that recognizes the role the roads play for drivers, buses, pedestrians and bikers.

The corporations and their politicians are watching where we put our bodies and how we raise our voices. They come running with renta-cops at the slightest suggestion of freedom.