The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Spring Has Sprung: In Summer

The Brownstoner puts it better than I could. But let me just say that helping a project go from idea to fruition is perhaps the most satisfying thing one can experience. I used to get it making record albums. This, and I'm sure Mr. Rudy Delson and Ms. Amy Musick would agree, is simply a glorious feeling. Regardless of what the critics might say. Way to go David. Way to go neighborhood.

pic: Jeff Scherer for Brownstoner



10 comments:

Adrienne said...

I remember when these "trees" were erected. They were so mod and fun, but have obviously seen better days. I'm thrilled about this! Bravo and thank you to all that have made this possible!

Kim said...

Beautiful! Great job, guys!!!

Anonymous said...

I must be the only person who thinks this is not visually appealing.
I preferred the 70's retro crumbling pop/brutalist look.
Ah well, alone again.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, there are many, many people who agree with you. I am one of them.

There are bald spots where the artist didn't plan for enough stickers. These spots are visible from most angles.
The painted trunks are especially ugly and incongruent. I wonder if the artist is going to bother finishing them.

Very disappointing. I wish the trees had been left alone and I wonder how this is the product of $10,000.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Listen, not everyone's gonna be happy. Believe it or not, those trees are huge and the material expensive. The flowers were handmade by Eppley and a dozen kids. The bald spots are on purpose, and I love that they leave some of the original structure intact.

If I have a complaint, it's that he didn't paint the BACKS of the trees. I'm pleased with everything else. And I've heard many, many more compliments than negatives.

But what REALLY irks me about your comment? Why so anonymous, Anonymous? Are you afraid that your opinion will somehow get you hurt? Trust me, Eppley's a gentle soul and can handle it. He went to art school after all, where I'm sure his professor's critiques were way harsher than what you're dishing out.

If you're going to hurl insults on the work, use your name. I expect you to follow up with it. On Facebook or Twitter, you can't hide like that! Plus, saying "many, many people," coming from an Anonymous commenter, is hardly more than hearsay. Put together a petition. Put it up on your Facebook page. But real critics don't hide.

Surfergirl said...

Pay no attention to Mr. Sourpuss, Q. These things are awesome. I guess he forgot how hideous they were before. Also I don't think he gets what it costs to do something like this. The insurance alone was over three grand if I recall. Also, I don't think he realizes that DOT wouldn't let you refurbish. It wasn't an option. The only option was to tear them down.

Like Taylor Swift says, the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate.

Anonymous said...

The trees are glorious. The "Keep Flatbush Shitty" contingent can suck it.

roxv said...

yeah i wasn't 100% sold on what these would look like at first in the planning stages (but i was 100% on board with doing SOMETHING about them because they looked like hell) but now that it's done i really love it. i'm glad the stickers covered up a lot but not all of the surface area. i didn't really notice the back--but i did notice the scuffed up edges/sides of the trees, which still sorta look like hell. maybe that can be painted too. also i prefer the trunks so much more now. before they were......grey concrete. which was a depressing look for "trees"

Anonymous said...

I'm not saying Keep Flatbush Shitty. I just preferred the weathered original look.
Painted concrete just isn't my thing.

Anonymous said...

It's lovely. Thank you to all the kids who worked on it. I like how it looks...now. My concern all this time has been how the chosen materials will hold up and for how long because as the proposal stated it isn't permanent. Was there discussion of permanent materials that could be used within the same budget? I really like the text on the trunks arranged in diagonal banners. That part in my memory anyway wasn't in the original drawings and it balances out the design.