McCarren Park Land Grab?
For the past decade or so, a couple of Greenpoint residents named Gina and Walid have created a garden in McCarren Park at the corner of Bayard and Lorimer, presumably with the implicit approval of the Parks Department. The couple erected a wooden fence over time and, based upon recent comments on New York Shitty,…
For the past decade or so, a couple of Greenpoint residents named Gina and Walid have created a garden in McCarren Park at the corner of Bayard and Lorimer, presumably with the implicit approval of the Parks Department. The couple erected a wooden fence over time and, based upon recent comments on New York Shitty, it’s unclear how open to the public the space was. On Saturday, the Parks Department began dismantling the fence, apparently in order to hand the space over to the Boy Scouts. The first tipsters to write in to New York Shitty were outraged, as was the blog author. “All in all, I think this stinks. BIG TIME. I am especially troubled that an organization that refuses admittance to atheists, agnostics and homosexuals should be given preference in a PUBLIC park which is undoubtedly patronized by significant numbers of all the previous. Who does this park belong to— the public or private organizations? I’d really like to know.” One commenter took an opposite view: “I feel no sympathy for an entitled couple for the loss of their appropriated corner of my park and your park. And that garden is a sorry excuse for a garden, I might add.” Update: The person who took this photo has included a bunch of background info on her Flickr page that we’ve reposed on the jump…
A McCarren Park Land Grab? [New York Shitty]
Photo by miss mousey brown
Statement from MouseyBrowns...
Walid and Gina have been the financial benefactors and caretakers of Red Gate Garden in McCarren Park for the past 12 years. They are there everyday, in addition to their other employment. They have provided, or have been meagerly donated every plant that is within the garden. (Lest for a 30 odd year Redbud , a pine, dogwood…)
15 years ago, the garden was established by Helena as a memorial garden and legally permitted by McCarren Park. At that time, wind fencing was installed to protect the variety of flowering plants and trees from foot traffic that might be a little too careless to not destroy it. There is a gate that has never been locked to anyone that may want to go in and see the vast array of blooms, fruits, and avian guests while someone is there working. It is locked at other times to keep out the vagrants that have tried to set up camp from at times , and to keep the flora safe from people or pets that could harm the plant life. Gina and Walid are experts at cultivating beautiful plantings, and are often there to give friendly advice to many local newcomers to gardening. They are happy to tell you about what plant you are curious and how to grow it yourself. There is a relationship between the garden, themselves, and our community. If you are interested in being a part of the gardening, stop and introduce yourself.
One of the more interesting aspects of a visit to the garden is a natural impulse to try and intercept the need of some park visitors to resort to public urination (and defecation) along the fence. The bathrooms at the field house are a mystery to many, or just too far away. Including the potty training that some young parents think that a taking a number 2 in the corner of the fence line is acceptable, athletes with nowhere to go; and as well, the inebriated.
This morning, a crew of Parks Department personnel, with the assistance of a volunteer team of Boy Scouts that had been arranged by Stephanie Thayer of NYC North Brooklyn Parks, came to remove the fence that protects The Red Gate Garden from harm. Only one section of fence was removed before the job supervisor stopped work when he saw that there was obvious resistance to the job he was sent to do.
The caretakers of the garden are not strangers to McCarren Park admin. Their phone numbers and email are of record with McCarren Park’s Director. An exchange within the past week consisted of the parks’ offering voluntary help from the Boy Scouts to help to do some new plantings. The offer was graciously declined, because everything is already planted, growing, or blooming. There was no discussion of the removal of the fence around the garden. The fence has been temporarily restored in a makeshift fashion to thwart the garden’s trampling tomorrow, or unless and until a permanent solution is found.
I was under the impression that the Boy Scouts were there to do volunteer work, not that they would be taking over this spot (Heather has an update at the bottom of her post to that effect).
Seems to me there is a reasonable middle ground here – let the people who have been maintaining the garden for all these years continue to do so. Hell, give them as much free mulch and plants as they can use. But why should this area be fenced off and inaccessible to the public? Take down the fence and let everyone enjoy it, or put up a proper, attractive fence and have the Parks department open and close the garden every day.
All that said, there is nothing in the Parks Department actions that say that the caretakers are being thrown out.
And yes, I have seen the garden – it’s very nice, though I’ve never been in, because it always looked pretty inaccessible and, frankly, it looked as though it was purposely cordoned off so the public wouldn’t go in.
have any of you commenters been in this garden? It doesn’t sound like it. It is a real jewel and deserves to be protected. Obviously, if you’ve never been to McCarren Park, you won’t miss it.
Sounds like the Boy Scouts have about as much right to the place as the couple did. Like the Boy Scouts, they are “private” individuals, not the greater “public.” They should challenge the Boy Scouts to a kickball game to decide who gets the garden.
Yeah. Thanks for your 12 years of service, but its a public park, and so, should be public.
If a group of boyscouts wants to do a community service project at a public park, really people are going to bitch about that?
“There is a gate that has never been locked … It is locked at other times …”
This makes my head hurt. Is this a portion of the park that is sometimes locked to the public? If so, who has the key? Projects like these are great if managed fairly, but we can’t have private citizens acting as gatekeepers to public space.
BK boy scouts just a tad more open than la/le internationale
I like Miss Heather – she keeps it real.
No, but Mr. B wanted me to use my real name when I was (very briefly) covering Williamsburg. I am more like her older, bitchier, stroller mom, non-vegan sister.
heather, are you miss heather? hahahhaha jk. i know youre not, even tho for the longest time i thought you were!
*rob*