Costume Party and Fundraiser to support the McCarren Park Dog Run!
Saturday, October 28 at McCarren Dog Run (Driggs & N 12th)
12pm-3pm
Facebook invite
Bring your dog in costume, and enter the competition! More info to be announced, but save the date for some spooky hounds parading for a good cause! Continue reading
A quick walk along the southwest corner of McGolrick Park in the last few weeks reveals it has been getting something of a facelift.
At some point in early July, a sign appeared on the fencing outside of the McGolrick Park dog run, announcing renovation and that the run would be closed from July 12th – Aug. 1st. It came as somewhat of a surprise to the dog owners who frequented the park. Soon, enough secondhand information (and in some cases third and fourth) began to filter its way down from parks department employees; there would be a transition from dirt to gravel, that the trees would be preserved, and there would be a pavilion to provide shade for owners.
The talk, coupled with the sign, elicited a chorus of mixed replies: some owners praised the idea of gravel, noting it would clean their dog’s paws and possibly help with the endless amounts of broken glass that seemed to rise, Poltergeist-like, out of the mud after every heavy rain. Others were more wary, saying the mulched and dirt-y run provided pets a little relief from the concrete of the city, and the switch to gravel would take that cushioning away. Also, there was speculation about dust—an oft-heard complaint about the newer dog runs in Cooper Park and Bushwick Inlet. Continue reading
In the latest construction news to hit North Brooklyn, the city approved a McCarren Park expansion that has been in the works since 2010. The plan would expand the park by 33,800 square feet, connecting the section of McCarren Park that holds the dog run and farmers market to the park’s southern end. The chunk of Union Ave. between Driggs Ave. and North 12 Street will be dug up and replaced with a fancy shmancy pedestrian plaza.
Naturally, residents are concerned with how traffic will be affected. Additionally, the expanded green area will remove 34 parking spaces. Gothamist reported, however, that these spaces may likely be recovered nearby.
While the the Parks Department works on securing funding for a permanent design, a temporary design is expected to be completed by summer 2014, giving us all something to look forward to just as the weather starts to turn cold.
Boy that’s a tongue twister…
As you might have noticed a tree fell on the gate and entrance to the McGolrick Park Dog Run. The tree has been removed by the park’s department, but the responsibility to rebuild the damaged fence is up to the dog owners. District Dog (142 Driggs Ave) is taking donations for repair and have raised about $600. The run should be fixed soon. In the meantime, stop in and donate a few bucks so our neighborhood doggies can safely play again.
