Adam Yauch Park Closer to Reality: On State Street In Brooklyn Heights

By on May 22, 2012 9:17 pm in Celebrity Residents

The Brooklyn Heights Blog community’s effort (ignited by “She’s Crafty”) to rename Squibb Park to Adam Yauch Park went viral today.

Our Facebook page now has more than 1,300 “Likes” and the idea has been covered by the Hollywood Reporter, Gothamist and 1010WINS Radio, to name a few. But a funny thing happened on the way to critical mass: We found out about an effort by Adam “AdRock” Horovitz and his wife Kathleen Hanna to fix up and rename the baseketball courts at State Street Park after Yauch.

Late this afternoon Ms. Hanna contacted us via Facebook, saying:

I just wanted to let you know that Adam “Adrock” Horovitz has already begun working with the Parks Commissioner to fix up and rename State Street Park where Yauch actually played as a kid to Adam Yauch Park. It would be great to get people behind THIS idea as it won’t hurt the Squibb family….Thanks, Kathleen Hanna

Since receiving that dispatch, we have confirmed with the Beastie Boys management and publicist that this plan is real and going forward. Right now the effort is focused on the basketball courts and not necessarily adjoining Palmetto Playground.

The Brooklyn Heights Blog community ENTHUSIASTICALLY supports this idea. We have updated the Facebook page* to reflect this and encourage all those who agree, their friends, family and friends of friends to continue to “Like” the page and share our strong desire to make Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn Heights a reality.

*Note that Facebook does not allow users to change names of pages with 200+ likes. While the name of our page remains the same, we no longer advocate changing the name of Squibb Park. We are 100% committed to doing all we can to making Adam Yauch Park a reality on State Street.

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  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    I believe what is referred to as “State Street Park” is actually named “Palmetto Park” for a deliciously stupid reason. There’s a sign there that says it got the name because it’s at the corner of Columbia Place and State Street, Columbia is the capital of the State of South Carolina, and South Carolina is called the Palmetto State. Of course, there’s not a palmetto in sight (though, given global warming, there may be in a few years). I certainly support renaming it for Adam Yauch, especially if he did play there.

  • David G.

    Huzzah! I’m glad that there was a good outcome.

  • David on Middagh

    Claude, I’ve never noticed the sign explaining the Palmetto designation. But if–with similarly whimsical reasoning–Cobble Hill Park had been named from its location at the intersection of Clinton Street with Congress, it might have been called Impeachment Park. (Yikes!)

  • Villager

    Here’s a link to verify Claude’s assertion.
    http://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/historical-signs/listings?id=12464
    This is a more sensible solution. Kudos to those involved in finding it rather than stubbornly usurping Squibb.

  • She’s Crafty

    Should we be contacting electeds or doing something like that to move this along? This is so AWESOME.

  • http://n/a Barbara Shernoff

    Congrats to all involved in the renaming of the the park!

  • Nabeguy

    This totally ad-rocks! Brilliant solution all around. She’s Crafty, consider yourself the 4th BB for the original suggestion.

  • She’s Crafty

    @Nabeguy, not me, but I can hook you up with others that should be from lo so many years ago.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/13189502@N02/ Eddyenergizer

    That’s the park I suggested on the other thread almost a week ago…

  • Bob Stone

    The playground’s whimsical name was conferred by then-Commissioner Henry Stern after its renovation well over a decade ago. He was also known for having his subordinates, including assistant commissioners, wear cutesy name-tags (e.g., Starlight, et al), much to the embarrassment of many of them. I guess it’s good to be the King (or at least, Commissioner).

    I don’t recall anyone ever calling it Palmetto Playground. It deserves better and I look forward to the re-dedication.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    DoM: coffee comes flying out my nostrils.

  • pewpew

    I agree this is a much better solution that trying to demote someone else’s contributions as not worthy or deserving. It also has a better connection to the person who it is trying to be named after. I’m glad common sense prevailed for once.

  • She’s Crafty

    @PewPew, I beg to differ. It is demoting the contributions of South Carolina to Brooklyn, specifically that little area, where South Carolina did so much for us. You just can’t please people!

  • Jazz

    To be crystal clear – Squibb abandoned Brooklyn Heights in 1969 taking 700 jobs with it. We owe the family nothing. Get off that part of this discussion please. If you want to honor the history of the site that’s fine. But please don’t pander to a company and family that gave our community a huge economic bitch slap.

  • She’s Crafty

    @Jazz, love you.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/13189502@N02/ Eddyenergizer

    Jazz, Your point is against the company. However, the park is dedicated to Edward R. Squibb the founder of the company who was a pioneer in the development of modern pharmaceuticals and accomplished his great work on that very spot. Yes Squibb left Brooklyn but so did almost every other major manufacturer. Why single them out for the changes in economic realities? Anyway, it’s kind of moot as there is a much more appropriate park to memorialize Adam.

  • Jazz

    Just pointing out that “offending the Squibb family” is the reddest of herrings. The historical significance of the spot and of the dude not at question.

  • HonorYauch

    Hi everyone. Any updates? I’d love to get involved and help make this happen. What can a local citizen do to help push this through?

  • Homer Fnk

    According to the Beastie’s camp as of this morning (6/6) no update on AdRock’s effort.