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Tiny Urban Park — Brooklynian

Tiny Urban Park

lanazellner
lanazellner
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Hey, I am new to Brooklyn moved here 4 months ago from Philly. I'm also new to the forums. HI!

I am starting a tiny park in an abandoned lot near out my window. I wanted to share it with the community because its for the community! Additionally, we need donations so we can continue with the project.

Hopefully someone here will be excited to see the progress taking place on Classon & St.Marks :)

Our Blog: http://tinyurbanpark.wordpress.com/
Our Kickstarter Page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lana/tiny-urban-park

Our Facebook Page is: Tiny Urban Park
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Comments

  • inpixels
    inpixels
    Check out a movie called "The Garden" when you get the chance

    http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70100724

    The Garden (2008) NR

    Filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy's politically charged, Oscar-nominated documentary follows a group of low-income families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from bureaucratic real estate developers. A lightning rod for controversy in 2004, this cause célèbre drew the attention of numerous activists and politicians, including Dennis Kucinich, Joan Baez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigoisa.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    nice project.

    In your link you said you are going to build 2 benches.

    I have access to a complete wood workshop and materials

    and have been looking for a way to use up about 20' of that manufactured plastic deck wood. Two pieceds, Approx 5" wide x 1" thick x 10' long

    build a plant box, composting bin, etc.
  • lanazellner
    lanazellner
    OMG YOU ARE AWESOME!! Thanks so much for that offer! I will email you :)
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Btw, you may want to go the "community garden" route as opposed to park route. The advantage is much less litter and problems. ...a few people on this site already participate in community gardens, and I'm betting addition space is always needed. ...extra bonus: carrots and tomatos
  • xlizellx
    xlizellx
    whoa. it took me this long to put together that you are the same person as the one mentioned here:
    http://ilovefranklinave.blogspot.com/ I check ilovefranklinave more often than a normal person should and check here also way more often than may be healthy - and it took me, what, 4 days to put this together...?

    good luck! i kill all plants but i love to see things like this as i walk past. if you need help with the more manual labor and less of the making-things-not-die, i am free literally all summer.
  • lanazellner
    lanazellner
    We are veering toward a park because we can't afford a fence (which is nessisary if you do a garden, because of trash/dogs/people). Plus a lot of people have mentioned how nice it will be to have a pretty bench area to sit at while they wait for their laundry. I am excited about the lot being enjoyed by the community as a whole rather than just 10 or so people. (even if that means I have to clean up some extra dog poop and trash sometimes)

    Haha and yes that is us on Ilovefranklinave! We were really excited to have Nick write such a great post about us :)
  • park place
    park place
    This sounds like such a great project
  • sterling2000
    sterling2000
    I rode my bike by the corner on Friday to check it out...good stuff.
  • architecture biscuit
    architecture biscuit
    Just got an email that the Kickstarter funding for this project was canceled. What's the story?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Architecture Biscuit wrote: Just got an email that the Kickstarter funding for this project was canceled. What's the story?
    Her blog says Alma is building a Coffee Shop in the future, and wants her outta there. ...it likely does not want a squatters rights battle on its hands.
  • architecture biscuit
    architecture biscuit
    Gee willikers, we sure are getting a lot of new coffee shops around these parts.
  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    Oh noes!

    Pave this lot and put up a coffee shop? :-'
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    jeffrey wrote: Oh noes!

    Pave this lot and put up a coffee shop? :-'
    it was running thru my head already....
  • sterling2000
    sterling2000
    This may have set a new record for the fastest gentrification of a space in the neighborhood...
  • chekhovian
    chekhovian
    I think I remember hearing something about a coffee shop there three years ago. I wouldn't bet on Alma taking the initiative to actually build their coffee shop anytime soon. And yeah, there are only about four new coffee shops within a five-minute walk from the Tiny Urban Park.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    anyone know if they are still going to convert the former Emergency Room into a supermarket? ...that was discussed a while ago as well.
  • stooplady
    stooplady
    Thought I would latch onto this to see what happens. Have you contacted any local officials or other Garden activists to see what can be done? This is a great way to meet people and learn the ropes of the Brooklyn/NYC/Developers/Builders. Many times there are conflict resolution folks who can put every one together and a solution happens. It may be anything from a tax write of for the business to who-knows-what. Good luck!
  • park deliciatessen
    park deliciatessen
    Is it cool if I take some of them there rocks for my yard?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I built the bench anyway.

    It is 36" long, 16.5" wide and 16.5" tall. It was built with found manufactured lumber and rust proof screws. It will outlast us all...

    image

    ...anyone know if the Crow Hill Assn wants a bench in the empty lot they just cleaned up?

    If not, I'll give this thing away sometime next week.

    Note: Dog NOT included in give away or measurements.
  • mha
    mha
    Why_not31, if you still have this bench, it would be a great addition to the empty lot on Franklin Avenue. Word on the street is that a couple of Crow Hill Association folk did some major work on it yesterday, and a bench underneath the mulbery tree would be awesome.
  • chca
    chca
    we would love the bench
    :)
    can you email [email protected]
    thanks
  • watcher
    watcher
    Why-not, do you do wood work? Like small decks? If so, please send an email!
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    yes, when not typing ....I create objects made from wood.

    bookcases
    radiator covers
    benches

    ...decks on rare occasions.
  • mha
    mha
    So do you still have that bench?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    MHA wrote: So do you still have that bench?
    yup. And this weekend I am without Mrs Whynot, which means I will have time to build more, and make a mess while listening to 101.9.

    I emailed Stacey.
    ....here's my offer:

    The above bench is free, and was built with free lumber.

    I will build additional benches in my workshop for free, but I request funds for lumber. Lumber for each bench will cost CHCA about $30. Lowes will give me a receipt, and I will give it to CHCA. If Stacey emails me back, I'll front the cost and then get the $ when they come get the benches.

    ....the benches will identical to the bench above. Same measurements.

    I will use Trex manufactured plastic wood (it is sturdy and lasts forever because they make it from recycled plastic bottles, perhaps from the Diet coke I consume).

    Note: There is no back to the bench. The bench is a "two person" or a "one very fat person" bench; it is not a "three person" bench.

    As a result of being small, the bench can be moved around by one person. This is allows someone to come to my PH apt, put it on something like a furniture dolly and wheel it to the empty lot on Franklin. This someone will not be me. :(

    Want a longer bench? ....put two small benches next to one another :)
  • mha
    mha
    So do you need someone to pick up the bench you now have, or are you going to drop that one off? I believe that Crow HIll is having a 'claim your tract of land' day this Saturday at the lot. You could bring it then. I walked by it yesterday. Some Crow Hill folk had a tiller and had tilled what seemd like half of the lot. I overheard the lady say that there was too much debris to do the entire thing. The hope is that those interested in planting something will come in and do so.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I hope to be building additional benches on Saturday, not delivering my already-built bench.

    ....I await word from Stacey.

    I seek to avoid the nonprofit PH -> CH bench delivery business, but have great hopes of cornering the nonprofit PH ->CH bench building business.
  • mha
    mha
    Do you need someone to pick the bench up from you?
  • MOD
    MOD
    Give him $30 and it's yours, there. Yes, you pick it up.
  • tsarina
    tsarina
    If anyone wants to borrow dolly, handtruck I would gladly lend mine out for transporting said benches. As for the debris in the dirt, I have concocted some sifters of varying screen type that require the backbreaking labor orf 2 people to use. (Or one very masochistic person) These are also available for use in said micro urban park place.
    With all that said. Dude looks very impressive sitting on that bench.
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