Despite our verdant name, Greenpoint contains less park space than the average New York City neighborhood, so we should all try to coexist and do our part to keep our parks beautiful.
Unfortunately, a series of incidents at Transmitter Park is shedding light on some less-than-neighborly actions perpetrated by park-goers.
We ran a PSA in February asking dog owners to keep their dogs off the grass after the NYC Parks Department reseeded it. While off-leash dogs are still rampant (despite Transmitter not having off-leash dog hours), Elissa Iberti, chair of Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park, says she’s seen an improvement in behavior from owners.
The latest cause célèbre is now trees. A few days ago, the Friends shared an image of a fallen tree on Instagram, with the caption: “We sorry [sic] to report that the chronic destruction of this young Magnolia Tree met with its end last night.” The tree’s destruction particularly stings, considering the park’s beloved willow tree was destroyed during Hurricane Ida in 2021. While volunteers eventually planted a replacement last year, the lack of a sprawling, fully-formed tree certainly changed the character of the park.
Aside from not pulling any branches off the trees, Iberti says that folks can also do their part to dispose of their trash properly. It should go without saying that it means not piling your stuff on top of the receptacle if it’s full (seriously, this goes for the ones on Wythe Avenue and several Franklin Street, too!)
“It is a small park for everyone, in a neighborhood that’s exploding, with not a lot of green space. And so we all have to, as New Yorkers, get along,” Iberti says.
Iberti also invites park-goers to “notice” their surroundings more. The park functions as an official Pollinator Pathway, built specifically to facilitate pollinating insects and wildlife.
“We do know we’re getting different species and butterflies than we have before, but again, unless you bring it to someone’s attention…” Iberti says. The Friends group is happy to act as a resource and welcomes community involvement — the gardens are entirely volunteer-run.
Let’s all remember that classic Girl Scout maxim about leaving a place better than you found it. You can learn more about getting involved with the Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park (including their new campaign to install a bathroom) here.
Keep dogs off the grass and leashed. It never amazes me how dog owners also (99%) don’t keep them on a short leash when approaching other dogs, adults kids, delaying breaking up dog fights or knocking over humans.
Enforce laws re no pot smoking in the park. The place stinks especially on the weekends.
Amen Paul – most dog owners are obnoxious and selfish, they don’t let people pass them on the sidewalk and don’t stop their dogs from jumping on you with their dirty paws/slobbery mouth. The pot smoking in public parks is out of control and ruins what little fresh air we get from those spaces
I would love to see a pristine park but with zero enforcement against littering, dog walkers who let their animals pee and defecate all over the place, and rampant drug use, what do you expect? Also, who are you targeting with this message? There are a lot of vile humans who visit the waterfront at Domino and Transmitter Park that don’t live in the neighborhood or NYC.
I hope the people who need to hear this message actually read this article. I’m really sorry to see what happened to Transmitter tree. It’s really heartbreaking to see people either unaware or not care about the consequences to others of their actions. I live by McGolrick park, and we have many of the same issues – dogs off leash despite having two nice dog parks, littering, afternoon parties that aren’t cleaned up, destruction of plants etc. Parks should be enforcing the rules and educating people, which would take many more parks agents than the city currently employs. I feel helpless at times knowing how to help other than calling 311 and messaging local representatives.
Transmiter park smells like public restroom, full of dogs peeing everywhere