There Are Trees In Them Thar Fields!
Our local athletes suddenly find themselves running into trees – a problem! – whilst playing kickball in McCarren Park. So, to get to the bottom of this scoop, the Brooklyn Paper sent out the grizzled Ben Muessig to investigate the unfortunate planting of these “trees”….
The 20-odd baby trees, which were planted as a part of Mayor Bloomberg’s ‚”Million Trees” program, affect all three Brooklyn Kickball fields, which are used simultaneously on Sunday nights.
‚”You have to watch out, or else you’ll get hit in the back of the head,” said Bushwick resident B.J. Steiner of the ‚”Divine Sisterhood of the Sacred Bleeding Heart” squad.
The city responded:
‚”This area was originally conceived as a passive-use area,” Parks Department spokesman Phil Abramson wrote in an e-mail. ‚”With many venues in McCarren Park already dedicated to active recreation such as its ballfields, turf field, running track and basketball courts, we also strive to ensure that space is available for more passive pursuits such as picnics, sunbathing, and book reading.”
Let me know how sunbathing under these new trees works out for you. In regards to your “passive-use” quote, Parks Department spokesman Phil Abramson, I would like to say, “That’s what she said.” Thank you and good night.
[photo by Katie Chao, c/o Brooklyn Paper]
That park needs more trees and less kickball players.
i agree with above poster. seriously?
there needs to be one million trees planted in mccarren park alone to offset all of the environmental damage caused by those stupid styrofoam turkeys nest cups.
plz take one step back from your hipster gloryhole and think of the benefits that these trees provide to the ENTIRE williamsburg/greenpoint community. i think there should be MORE trees in mccarren park, not less.
agreed
get rid of all the baseball and soccer fields in the half of the park that touches Bedford. I’ve seen people hit by balls two times.
Yes, McCarren park needs more barren dirt fields for a handful of obnoxious kickballers.
The trees are great and Williamsburg/Greenpoint is in desperate need of many many more… especially if it means watching kickballers run into them.
I knew hipsters were self absorbed but generally they latch on to whatever is popular and support it(ie: saving the environment). But it seems that kickball is way more cool and important than saving the planet. I guess they’ll just move back home to the mid west when the sea level rises…