Montague Parking Spaces “Liberated” for a Day

By on September 19, 2008 2:23 pm in Brooklyn Heights, News

Two parking spaces on Montague between Henry and Hicks, roughly in front of Connecticut Muffin, have been taken over by Park(ing) Day NYC, an organization that promotes “Park(ing) Day” in New York City. Park(ing) Day is described in the organization’s flyer as:

an international phenomenon in which people around the world reclaim parking spots for a single day, transforming them into vibrant, functional public spaces. In the years since its inception, it has grown to include over 200 spots in 50 cities all over the world.

The Montague spot, called Henry Hicks Park, is one of fifty in New York City, and twelve in Brooklyn, chosen to be transformed today.

Share this Story:

,

  • http://www.brooklynbackstretch.blogspot.com BKBS

    Hmm. I guess that I’m alone in thinking that a parking space IS a “vibrant, functional public space.”

    I find stuff like this enormously irritating.

  • PJL

    You’re not alone. Also, can’t imagine how much time, energy (and money) went into arranging and coordinating this ‘international phenomenon’.

    What a worthy cause….

  • Bob

    Sitting in the gutter outside Connecticut Muffin. Not my idea of fun.
    A seriously geeky endeavor. Couldn’t agree more with BKBS and PJL.

    What’s next for Montague, a Sunday walking mall?

    (oh, right).

  • jw

    Hmmm….How many people walk on montague street versus drive in vehicles? How much of the public space (roadway v. sidewalk) is given to autos v. people?

    I think anything that makes us think and hopefully re-evaluate this division of public space is welcome. As a resident (and car-owner) of Montague street I welcome more parking days and sundays with the road closed!!

  • hoppy

    If taken completely out of context, this photo would surely elicit the universal “WTF?.” Three boys to the left practicing some kind of dance move? A toy dog caged nearby with rabbit fence around some sod and violet flowers? A patch of sod in the parking space in front of a moving van with some blue cardboard “fencing” and a bunch of people just lounging on a bench and fake spools? I don’t have a car so I could care less what they do with the parking spaces, but this just seems a bit stupid.

  • bornhere

    This effort seems a little goofy but essentially innocuous; and I’m sure it was all preceded by some reasonable compelling discussion among the teachers/kids (I’m assuming this was a school project), and that’s all good. I also know that, if my kid were involved in this, I would think it was one of the coolest things the class could do on a late summer day.

  • No One Of Consequence

    Waiting for the day they close the sidewalks to pedestrians so cars can have a little more room.

    Equal opportunity works both ways. :)

  • RatNYC

    It always amazes me that some people have absolutely nothing to do.

  • Beavis

    I like the mini dog run.

  • AEB

    The ever-expanding mall-ization of of Montague; or is this a redundant notion?

    Or maybe the State Fair-ization. Why not turn the whole street into a bake sale? A place for husbandry displays?

    Or a miniature golf course? (Hmmm…that might be nice, actually.)

    When what’s needed are porn shops, divey bars, brothels for all the sexes–or at least an outré objet d’art emporium.

    Or a single good restaurant.

  • Beavis

    I’d settle for a single good restaurant. Why, oh why, can’t this happen?

  • AEB

    Well, let’s not forget–and everyone seems to–the nearby Queen, which is really the best Italian restaurant in the nabe, a real contender. (I think “Pudding” is Italian-ish.)

  • julee

    my dog would kill that bitch for that patch of grass.

    years ago when we lived in hoboken we were overrun by the entitled who had no issue with signs posted on the grass at parks that said – no ball playing – no dogs – basically no fun. the grass was for those who wanted to sun themselves. the rest of us just looked in. the point of this organization although you may miss it with that toy dog in the pen is that city streets belong to people and that there is are better usages of space for all. and critical mass really should get all the cred for things that happen.

  • HDEB

    Sliding scale tolls based on income for all the east river crossings please.
    Cars stink, ride a bike!

  • heightsdiho

    Various film crews already “liberate” parking spaces in the nabe with alarming frequency.

  • David on Middagh

    I saw that space in person. It was opposite the horseshoe of benches outside Connecticut Muffin, and complemented them very well, forming a mini-plaza. It and the other green space (on Court St. near Atlantic Avenue) were well-used when I walked by.

    Nobody has mentioned that the explanatory sign encouraged people to feed the meter!

    (I think parking spaces should be mainly for loading/unloading. It doesn’t make sense to allow people to store their private property on public space. I wonder if the two blocks of Montague between Hicks and Clinton could be turned pedestrian-only during the day, the way marketplaces in other cities have been?)