While Carroll Park Is Closed, Cobble Hill Park Is Open. Why?

Above, Carroll Park in Carroll Gardens, which was entirely closed on April 2, 2020  because of the Corona pandemic.

Cobble Hill Park remains open except for its playground.

A few days ago, I received an email from reader Evan asking me if I had walked past Cobble Hill Park recently. He reported that this past Sunday, which was sunny and warm, it seemed "like a full on party there, packed with people oblivious to what's going on." He found it very "disturbing and upsetting to see locals acting like they're above the law."

I answered him hat I was a bit confused as to why Cobble Hill Park should be open. After all, Carroll Park here in Carroll Gardens had been entirely closed since April 2nd. In late March, the New York City Park's Department had taken away the basketball hoops and reminded people to keep 6 feet away from each other, and as that had not worked, the park was locked all together. No one has been able to set foot in it since then.

I wanted to check Cobble Hill Park for myself, so yesterday, as the sun was shining, I walked a couple of blocks down Clinton Street to Veranda Place. Sure enough, people were enjoying this beautiful day and the lovely plantings in the park.  

There were not many people there, but I was still surprised had it had not been closed like Carroll Park. The only section off limit was the play area in the back, which had been closed off with a  barrier.

Granted, Cobble Hill Park does not have gates at its entry point like Carroll Park and therefore may be more difficult to lock entirely, but a quick search on the Parks Department web site revealed that New York City parks are actually open.  Only playgrounds are closed.

One has to therefore wonder why Carroll Park was entirely closed when its playgrounds are fully gated themselves and could have been closed separate from the rest of the park, like the one in Cobble Hill.

The importance of green spaces in our neighborhoods have become even more evident during this pandemic.  They become even more important for those who live in an upper floor apartment without access to a garden or balcony, nor the possibility of escaping the City.
The news that Carroll Park was closed until further notice here in Carroll Gardens spread quickly and was met with dread. This neighborhood resource has been so much missed by so many.

If, however, people are not keeping a safe 6 feet between themselves and others or refuse to wear masks while visiting our green spaces, it would  make sense to keep both parks closed.

What do you think? If only playgrounds are closed, why is  all of Carroll Park on lockdown?  Or should Cobble Hill park be closed as well?

From the New York City Park's Department:

 At this time, City parks are open. We ask that all park goers take extra precautions to stay healthy and safe. While solo exercise is okay, team sports (such as basketball, football, softball, and soccer) are not permitted in our parks at this time. Please maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others when outside and avoid congregating in groups. 

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Annual Cobble Hill Tree Fund Plant Sale Scheduled For May 5th

As in years past, the Cobble Hill Tree Fund is hosting its very popular annual plant sale at Cobble Hill Park, at the  corner of Congree and Clinton Streets. The event is scheduled for May 5th from 10:30am to 3pm.

Besides annuals, perennials and herbs, there will be a plant identification game for kids and a free t-shirt with $75 purchase (while supplies last).

The Fund is "dedicated to planting trees, providing education on the care of trees, and the on-going beautification of our community." All monies raised at the sale will be used for that purpose.

So if you are a neighborhood gardener, mark your calendar so that you  won't miss it.

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Mulch Fest 2018: Turn Your Christmas Tree Into Wood Chips At Two Neighborhood Locations This Week-End

******UPDATE******
The Mulchfest at Cobble Hill Park  listed below has been cancelled due to the cold.

So, by now, you have probably dismantled your Christmas tree and are ready to lug it out of your home. Why not begin 2018 by being more green and by bringing your tree to one of two neighborhood locations to have it chipped during Mulch Fest 2018,
From the organizers:
Join NYC Parks, the New York City Department of Sanitation , and GreeNYC to recycle your Christmas trees into wood chips. These wood chips are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. Or, take home your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree. More than 26,000 trees were recycled last year. Help us top this number!

If you live in South Brooklyn, here are two convenient locations:

Mulch Fest 2018

at The Amazing Garden

Corner of Carroll and Columbia

Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January 7

Noon to 5 pm

Bring your trees to our garden between noon and 5 those days, and drop them off, then we’ll make sure they get recycled/turned into Mulch.

 ******UPDATE******
The Mulchfest at Cobble Hill Park  listed below has been cancelled due to the cold.

Cobble Hill Park 

at Clinton and Verandah Place 

Saturday, January 6

9:30 am – 1:30 pm

Drop off your Holiday trees at the location below. Wreaths and garlands
cannot be accepted. Please remove lights and decorations. No artificial trees!

The event is organized by the Cobble Hill Tree Fund, Cobble Hill Association, and BoyScoutTroops 213 and 815.

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Annual Cobble Hill Tree Fund Plant Sale Scheduled For May 6th

As in years past, the Cobble Hill Tree Fund is hosting its very popular annual plant sale at Cobble Hill Park, at the  corner of Congree and Clinton Streets. The event is scheduled for May 6th from 10:30am to 3pm.

Besides annuals, perennials and herbs, there will be a plant identification game for kids and a free t-shirt with $75 purchase (while supplies last).

The Fund is "dedicated to planting trees, providing education on the care of trees, and the on-going beautification of our community." All monies raised at the sale will be used for that purpose.

So if you are a neighborhood gardener, mark your calendar.

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TreeCycle Your Christmas Tree At Cobble Hill Park This Saturday

Each Winter, in early January, the Cobble Hill Tree Fund sponsors a Holiday Tree-chipping at Cobble Hill Park in conjunction with the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Mulchfest. The date for this year's event is this Saturday, January 7th from 10 am to 2 pm.

Drop off your Holiday tree at Cobble Hill Park , at Verandah Place and Clinton Street. Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted. Please remove lights and decorations. No artificial trees! Cobble Hill Park: Clinton and Verandah Place.

Mulch bags will be available for those who want to take mulch home for their gardens or tree pits.

Trees will only be accepted during the scheduled times. Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted.
The Fund is "dedicated to planting trees, providing education on the care of trees, and the on-going beautification of our community."
.

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Recycle Your Christmas Tree Into Mulch At Cobble Hill Park

Now that the Holiday season has past, you may want to bring your Christmas tree to Cobble Hill Park on Clinton St. between Verandah Place and Congress Street in order to have it chipped into wood chips. As in years past, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation , and GreeNYC are hosting their yearly Mulchfest. If you bring your tree to the park or one of the other designated locations, you will be able to take home your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree.

The chippers will be at Park on January 9 and 10, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00.
Of course, you may just place your tree in front of your house. The NYC Department of Sanitation will also be conducting special curbside collections of Christmas trees from Monday, January 4, 2016 through Friday, January 15, 2016.

These trees will be mulched as well, but of course, it is so much more fun watching it and walking away with wood chips from your very own tree.



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Cobble Hill Tree Fund's Annual Plant Sale Is This Saturday

Here is an event that no neighborhood gardener will want to miss. The Cobble Hill Tree Fund is hosting its annual plant sale this Saturday, May 3rd from 10:30 am to 3 pm in Cobble Hill Park between Clinton and Congress Streets . All  funds raised at the sale will be used for the care and planting of neighborhood trees.



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Annual Community Plant Sale To Benefit Cobble Hill Tree Fund

Here is an event for neighborhood gardeners.  The Cobble Hill Tree Fund is hosting their annual plant sale this Saturday, April 28th, from  10:30 to 3 pm in  Cobble Hill Park at Verandah Place.  The funds will be used to take care and planting  of neighborhood trees.


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MulchFest 2012: Where To Recycle Your Christmas Tree In The Neighborhood This Week-End

Start the new year green by recycling your Christmas tree this week-end, January 7th And 8th from 10 am to 2 pm at Mulch Fest 2012. Just bring it to one of the designated neighborhood parks and the New York City Department of Parks And Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and GreeNYC 's will chip it into mulch that will nourish plants across the city.
The closest drop-off sites here in the neighborhood are:
Cobble Hill Park ,Verandah Place & Clinton Street
The Amazing Garden,Columbia Street at Carroll Street
and off course,
Prospect Park,Third Street at Prospect Park West
*You are encouraged to bring bags to take advantage of the free mulch provided at sites

And if you don't have time this week-end, don't worry. The NYC Department of Sanitation will also be conducting special curbside collections for mulching and recycling of Christmas trees from January 3 through January 14.
For more info on MulchFest, click here. Read more

Halloween Events Around The Neighborhood

Love Halloween? Great. You will have lots of neighborhood events to chose. Below is a list of fun stuff to do, which I will add to throughout the week. Start planning now, so that you won't miss a thing.

*First thing first. By now, you have probably heard of the Costume Karaoke and Parade in Carroll Park next week-end. Both events are organized by Friends of Carroll Park, the volunteer organization that keeps our neighborhood park looking great.

Costume Karaoke, Saturday, Oct 29, 6:00 - 9:00. Come on your way to your next costume event and belt out some of your favorite tunes. This was a really fun time last year, despite the cold, and we were treated so some truly wonderful local talent. We're hoping for warmer weather this year, but we'll have hot apple cider to wet the whistle and maybe some snacks. Will post a confirmation of the hours once we've locked in the excellent dee-jay we had last year!

The Carroll Park Kids' Halloween Parade! Sunday, Oct 30, gather at 12:30 at the park, parade at 1:00 up Smith Street to Degraw and back on Court Street. This event is always a hit and is led by the park's playground associate, Kathleen Henderson. Noisemakers for the first 200 kids who arrive!

*Families First Brooklyn on Cobble Hill Brooklyn will be hosting a Halloween Party for babies and toddlers (0-4 year olds) on Sunday, October 30^th 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET. Below is a flier we are distributing with full details.

Families First Brooklyn is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families. The organization offers a wide variety of high-quality classes for children ages 0-7, support groups for parents, and enriching parenting workshops. Our facility also has a playspace where parents, caregivers, and children can socialize and play indoors. Families First is located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, and Red Hook. For more information, please visit us at www.familiesfirstbrooklyn.org.

*Join the volunteers of Urban Meadow at the Mother Cabrini Playground for their 9th Annual Columbia Waterfront Halloween Party and Parade!

Sunday, October 30 from 10 AM - 12 PM. Both the playground and the Urban Meadow are on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt.

Bring the kids in costume for fun at this long standing tradition in our neighborhood. There'll be treats and Urban Meadow t-shirts for sale, a costume parade led by the Underground Horns band and a fire engine from a local FDNY ladder company, hula hooping in the Meadow and more!

*The yearly Cobble Hill Park Halloween parade will take place on October 31st at 4 PM. The Jah Pan Steel Drum Band will be providing musicThe event is free and everyone is invited. The park is on Clinton Street between Verandah Place and Congress Street

*Halloween Costume Swap at Build It Green! NYC - Gowanus, 69 9th Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, Friday, October 28th 3pm – 6pm RSVP for the event here

Scare your Friends, Not Your Wallet. "Free GrowNYC Halloween Costume Swap keeps Halloween Black, Orange and Green!

Not impressing Bella with last year’s vampire outfit? Bring last year's clean costumes, accessories and funky clothing or just help yourself to some free Halloween fashion at GrowNYC’s Halloween Costume Swap. Swap items limited to clothing, costumes, and accessories only please.

Take a sneak peek at Build It Green! NYC’s new non-profit salvage surplus warehouse in Gowanus, Brooklyn - their second reuse center in the city! Activities include recycled cardboard mask-making with Solar One, spoke flowers hand crafting with Recycle-A-Bicycle, Halloween-themed music, a bone-chilling haunted house, festive family-friendly movies to watch, and an apple/donut-eating contest thanks to GrowNYC’s Greenmarket! There will also be a raffle for a children’s bike, thanks to Recycle-A-Bicycle."

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Oh, Christmas Tree: At MulchFest, T'Was History In Seconds

It seemed a pity to take down our Christmas tree this week-end. It hadn't yet started to lose its needles and still looked pretty, all decorated and lit. But the holiday season was over. It was time to concentrate on the new year and leave the old behind. Besides, MulchFest , organized by the NYC Parks Department, was this week-end. It just seemed right to start 2011 green by recycling the tree.

Many in the neighborhood had the same idea and took advantage of the giant chipper that was set up on Clinton Street next to Cobble Hill Park. They drove, dragged and carried theirs to the location and then joined the small crowd of onlookers who watched in awe as the giant machine gobbled up one tree after the other and spit out mulch.

Small bags of mulch were available to take along. I'll spread mine in my garden as soon as the snow melts. (I must say though, that I was a bit taken aback by the fact that plastic bags had been printed up especially for this event. Though convenient, it didn't seem terribly green.)

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Dog Owners Also Using Cobble Hill Park As A Dog Run

Back in January, I posted about dog owners who conveniently overlook the "No Dogs Allowed" signs in Carroll Park and let their dogs run off leash, to do their business where children play.

Obviously, this problem is not unique to our neighborhood park. The letter below comes from a Cobble Hill reader. It would seem that dog owners are just as oblivious to the 'no dog' rules in that neighborhood's park.


Read on.

Hi Katia,

I read your blog every day, and I especially appreciate the times you've pointed out the folks who unashamedly use Carroll Park as a dog run. As a Cobble Hill dog owner (and parent), these people give us a bad name and I wish there was something that could be done to enforce the rules so that everyone—dogs, kids, adults—all had access to safe, clean places to enjoy the outdoors in our neighborhood.

So I submit to you this picture I snapped this morning of some similar, apparently entitled, neighborhood folks using the only public patch of grass for blocks as a place for their pups to frolic, although it is clearly marked that dogs are not allowed. There are two dogs runs less than a mile away. I've also witnessed people letting their dogs use this part of the park to do their business, and the few times I pointed out what they were doing is inconsiderate and wrong, the most reaction I got was a blank stare, as if they couldn't comprehend the concept. Not only is it the only park for blocks, but people volunteer their time to maintain it.

I'm not trying to start a crusade, and you can do what you wish with the photo. Just wanted you to know that I'm as offended as you are when I see this kind of thing happening.

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

Couldn't agree more.
It really is very simple: if you have a dog, please be a responsible owner and take him to a dog run. May I suggest you check out www.urbanhound.com to find the nearest one in your neighborhood?




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