Often Hargo's "The Somerville Gates" were compared with Christo's "The Gates", Central Park, New York City. These comparisons were unfair; sometimes the media exaggerated -- even lied -- about the similarities. Differences abound, and some of the most overlooked are listed below. 

Thank you for visiting The Somerville Gates!

- Hargo.

 Category

Christo and Jeanne-Claude's
"The Gates"

Hargo's
"The Somerville Gates"

Location

Central Park,
New York, NY, USA

Village Street,
Somerville, MA, USA

Does the artist accept donations?

No

Yes

Years it took to make

26

0.0228

Estimated visitors
(people, in person)

4 million

4

Estimated visitors
(non-feral cats, in person)

none

1

Use of recyclable materials

yes

yes

Commemorative swatches provided

yes

no

Number of workers involved in the installation

600

2

Viewing period

16 days

9 days

Tons of steel used (in US tons)

5,290

0

Wood glue used (in ounces)

0 (est.)

4

Height

16 feet

3.5 inches

Installation area

843 acres

2400 sq ft

Estimated cost (USD)

$21,000,000.00, depending on which newspaper article you read

$3.50

CNN appearances

204

2

The gates are not for sale. Neither is the cat.