Photo from Save Ridgewood Reservoir
The Ridgewood Reservoir was a main water source for Brooklyn in the 1800s, built by entrepreneurs to keep the then-City’s booming population from dying of thirst. After consolidation with New York City, Brooklyn’s water system was mostly relegated to a back up for Brooklyn in emergencies. After 1989, it was abandoned to nature. A forest grew where it stood, providing a home for various migratory bird species. Now the City, sensing something wonderful has been created without its direction, wants to bulldoze it all in a fit of spite. Well, no, but I’m sure it has something to do with keeping someone’s cousin Vinnie in business. I mean, what good are City jobs without the ability to rake in the contracts for your relatives?
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe says what’s the big deal? It’s just some weeds that grew in a puddle:
“These are really accidental landscapes that have grown up out of lack of maintenance and lack of use.”
So, the City let something rot…not terribly long ago, and now they want to “do something” (how Rooseveltian) to “fix” the mistake. This is just what we need, another freakin ball field ostensibly to battle “diabetes and heart disease,” the twin bogeymen of New York City, though I think the Commissioner forgot asthma. How about making it so that you can’t buy twinkies with food stamps? We don’t need the city spending money to bulldoze trees for something that will just turn into yet another dump city park. Remember, the Reservoir doesn’t have fancy coops on its edges to pour money in once the City fails.
I’m not a treehugger type, but it seems that if a forest grew up around the City’s negligence, it should stay. We can use all the trees we can get in New York.
Jimmy Legs October 24th, 2007 at 11:41 am
they want to reclaim it for ‘recreational facilities,’ whatever that means. can you recreate in a forest? additionally, the reservoir is smack dab in the middle of a bunch of different cemeteries, which is not the most festive of environs. although it is pretty beautiful around there actually.
if the city wants to ‘do something’ why don’t they sponsor the construction of the millions of units of affordable housing the city so desperately needs? that would generate endless jobs and give the politicos something to stand in front of for photographs. everybody wins!
Joseph October 24th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Can you post a Google map that shows were this property is located. I would like to go and check it out.
Matt October 24th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I was curious myself. Just click thhrough the link under the image of the trees. The blog has a map on the main page.
Adam October 24th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
you can find it here…great place to bike. sorry its to be paved, but I am not surprised.
jay October 24th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
at least if they paved it how about some nice bike paths. save money on blacktop, and create a path of transportation, and an area of recreation.
kanoa October 25th, 2007 at 9:03 am
check out this and this , they might make you a little less angry.
i personally would love to fish the reservoir. i hear that it is currently surrounded by tall weeds and marshland with no shore and definitely no boat launch. if they do it right, it will be nice to have something closer than prospect park lake.
jay October 25th, 2007 at 10:42 am
One of the many differences between the Bushwick area and Park Slope. Shall we compare 5th, and 7th Avenues, to Knickerbocker, and Broadway?