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Coney Island Community Garden Razed In The Dark
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 29, 2013
Modified Dec 29, 2013
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 29, 2013
Modified Dec 29, 2013
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During intermission at the August 2015 Hall & Oates concert in Coney Island's fabulous $53 million Seaside Park and Community Arts Center, pour out a taste of your $12 Bud Light for the community garden that once stood on your seat, the garden that was razed in the dead of night on Saturday December, 28, 2013.
The Post reports that the bulldozers came in after sunset yesterday, displacing the nearly two dozen chickens and feral cats that roosted in the scrappy community garden, which had been operating illegally and informally for several years to the delight of those who lived nearby and enjoyed working in the dirt.
“The community does not want this amphitheater built on this land . . . but the city went ahead with this anyway,” on resident told the tabloid. “I’m heartbroken, not only for myself, but for the elderly people that were gardening here every day.”
For 16 years, the garden hosted 40 plots over 70,000 square feet. It survived Hurricane Sandy, but not Marty Markowitz.
2013 was not kind to community gardens.
Tagged
brooklyn
coney island
fuggeddaboutthatcommunitygarden
marty markowitz
progress
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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