Gothamist: Remembering McCarren Park Pool, Before We Forget

greenpoint_grouch

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:19:58 -0500

Thank you, Jonathan, for your "keep in mind" points - it also somewhat addresses the quote up there from Phyllis Yampolsky which I was just about to refute. The community was content to let it sit there and rot since the early 80s (!), now they suddenly want it back since it was revitalized but the demographics have changed. Sure it's hard to argue with a real pool, but NYC isn't Anytown, USA and stuff like this (shows, plays, and movies in the park) is what makes the area UNIQUE and different from living in, say, Iowa. Even though I haven't attended many shows there, I've sometimes on nice nights sat in the park and listened and met people strolling by. I thought it was a great addition to the community. How about not biting the hand that fed you, Phyllis? A compromise would be cool.

Jonathan V

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:57:14 -0500

It'll be bittersweet to see the events held at the pool go... The stuff Jelly NYC and Summerscreen were doing in years past is amazing.. But this year I've seen few people from the neighborhood at the McCarren Park 'Pool Parties' this year. Most seem to be from throughout NYC and even the suburbs. The subways are near unusable from traffic, I've even seen lots of teens/tweens dropped off by their parents in a car. I don't mean to sound isolationist - I think its great people come from all over, but I don't like it when trash/disrepair and even the marketing of the pool are being assigned to the community and not tourists. The movies series are now filled with vendors and corporate sponsorships. You can't walk ten feet without someone giving away starbucks promotions. I still don't understand how Clear Channel / Live Nation / Ticketmaster got to do a sweetheart deal of $38 concert tickets each with $12.50 surcharges. Exactly how much of that has gone back into the community , and exactly where is it going? It would be nice to see something positive come out of the pool... but keep in mind a few things: - The pool fell into disrepair, because the Polish and Italian populations of GP/WB didn't like the miniorities who were moving into the southside from coming north to use it. - The area used to be surrounded by working class homes and factories. Now its surrounded by million dollar luxury condos. exactly who is this being redesigned for. a good reference is the state park on n8th/kent that is more like a private garden for the luxury condos that surround it. exactly who is the pool being designed for? The alleged new plans include reducing capacity by about 1/3 and turing that into a tanning area. It would be great to see the pool actually repurposed for the community at large, but everything I've seen makes it look like a miami beach clubhouse for nearby condo owners. it would be interesting to see where camapign contributions fit in on this... i remember during the rezoning in '04 Gifford Miller was essentially bought by area developers, and was quick to kick people off of rezoning committees and cancel meetings whenever someone disagreed with him. i wouldn't be surprised if we're just seeing that again.

mihow

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:26:23 -0500

meowster, there's no difference. Litter is litter. It's a freaking joke about folks who claim to be all crunchy and earth-saving and toss their organic earthy treats on the ground. My word. A mere joke. My only two cents on the pool? I hope that they hire enough people who are not only willing to show up to work but who are also willing to work. It will take a lot of maintenance to keep it clean and orderly. I'm hoping for the best for the neighborhood and I agree that it caters to all and not just a few.

meowster

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:25:58 -0500

long live the pool. i wish it were open now. man it's hot out there!

JRod5417

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:13:42 -0500

I second meowster. A pool caters to an entire neighborhood as opposed to just a subset in the neighborhood. It's a good thing and the most democratic thing to let the McCarren Pool go back to being a pool.

hslaton

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:13:29 -0500

I agree with Meowster. The concerts and movies were great, but I don't really see how you can be upset with the city turning the place back into a free public pool ... it'll be amazing when it's finished.

meowster

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:47:41 -0500

sorry guys but come on. a public pool/park is an excellent addition to the neighborhood. how can you even argue with that? the pool was cool for awhile as the it sat vacant but the crowd has gotten so big and attracted so many people from all over the place, the events outgrew itself. i welcome the pool. Also what's the difference- organic litter or fast food litter?!! wow.

esquared

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:45:04 -0500

Can't wait for Sonic Youth to play there this month, before they finally turn this into a swimming pool again; it'd be a nice send-off.

mihow

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:39:01 -0500

ha! Thanks for the clip. Sweet soundtrack as well.

spiritross

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:34:32 -0500

That is true less organic food wrappers and more fast food wrappers maybe the answer to the body lies here: clip from the film Vigilante http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/07/video_mccarren.html

mihow

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:23:41 -0500

I didn't suggest that. But I'll be gone before that happens anyway. I was just venting. Sorry. The type of trash will likely change, however. haha

spiritross

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:14:36 -0500

Do you really think the amount of trash will change with them turning it back into a public pool? Especially one that will be open 7 days a week for 4 months straight? instead of just once or twice a week.

mihow

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:10:57 -0500

Oh! while we're on topic, did they ever figure out whose body was found?

mihow

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:10:18 -0500

I live a couple of blocks from the pool and I gotta tell ya, it's pretty disgusting the amount of trash that builds up all over the place (not just near the trash cans where it can be blamed on lazy parks employees) the day of and after the shows. I didn't mind the noise and the lack of parking or the number of people all over the place. What did suck, however, was how little people seemed to want to pick up and/or clean up after themselves. It's probably one of the few times I've seen organic food wrappers, cliff bars, Trader Joe's bags etc littered. hahaha

spiritross

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:09:41 -0500

Regardless of personal opinions on the carpetbaggers in the area It was quite an idea for a concert venue, especially one offering free music, definitely will be hard to replace Maybe something could be done with the land where the Greenpoint market was, it would be a good idea for the city to turn that into public space rather then develop condos on it.

jenspellnogood

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:01:34 -0500

"people in Brooklyn just look different..." yes they look like hipster douchebags - implode the borough.