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Bed-Stuy Blocks Take Top Honors in Greenest Block Contest
By The Changeling | August 7, 2007
A beautiful yard on MacDonough
At a news conference on MacDonough Street today, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Brooklyn GreenBridge Program in cooperation with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented the 2007 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest winners. In the residential category two Bed-Stuy blocks took top honors.
When Marty Markowitz got to the podium one of the first things he said was something along the lines of  “This is Bed-Stuy,” and the crowd cheered.
Winners were judged using several criteria including variety of plants, suitability, maintenance, color effect, horticultural practices (e.g. water conservation and use of mulch), citizen participation, and visual effect.
1st Place
Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis Block Assoc. for MacDonough Street between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues - Bedford Stuyvesant
2nd Place (Tie)
Macon/Reid/Patchen Block Assoc. for Macon between  Malcolm X Blvd. and Patchen Avenue - Bedford Stuyvesant
Vanderveer Place Block Assoc. for Vanderveer Place between Flatbush Avenue and East 23rd Street - Flatbush
3rd Place (Tie)
Atlantic Village Homeowners Association for Fulton Street between Cumberland Street and Carlton Avenue - Fort Greene
Fuller Place Block Assoc. for Fuller Place between Windsor Place and Prospect Avenue - Windsor Terrace
4th Place
East 49th Street Block ASsoc. for East 49th Street between Lenox Road and Linden Boulevard - East Flatush
 The Akwaaba Mansion on MacDonough peeks through the greenery.
It’s also important to note that Bed-Stuy had more semifinalists than any other neighborhood in Brooklyn. Two hundred thirty-five blocks (205 residential blocks and 30 commercial blocks) entered the contest. Out the 4o residential seminfinalists, a whopping 9 were from Bed-Stuy! The list of semifinalists from our neighborhood is below:
Bainbridge Street/Stuyvesant Heights Block Association - Bainbridge (between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues)
MacDonough Street Block Association - MacDonough Street (between Ralph and Howard)
Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis Block Association - MacDonough Street (between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues) 1st Place
Macon/Reid/Patchen Block Association - Macon Street (between Malcom X Boulevard and Patchen Avenue) 2nd Place
Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis Block Association - Macon Street (between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues)
Madison Street Block #2 Association - Madison Street (between Franklin and Bedford Avenues)
700 Putnam Avenue Block Association - Putnam Avenue (between Malcom X and Stuyvesant Avenues)
Decatur/Stuyvesant Block Association - Stuyvesant Avenue (between Decatur and Bainbridge)
Stuyvesant North Block Association - Stuyvesant Avenue. (between Putnam and Jefferson Avenues)
Full list of semifinalists in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Greenest Block Contest
                            Even the No Parking signs were spruced up
Congratulations should also be given to the 700 Putnam Avenue Block Assoc. for Putnam Avenue between Malcolm X Boulevard and Stuyvesant Avenue. They received 2nd place in a category that was initiated in this year’s competition: Best New Street Tree Beds.
 
                       An immaculate garden on MacDonough
Thanks to all of the Bed-Stuy blocks that participated. By beautifying your blocks you have improved the quality of life in our neighborhood. Let’s see even more Bed-Stuy blocks participating in this contest in 2008!
Read more about the contest on Gothamist.
August 7th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Thanks for being the first to get great pictures of today’s event online.
August 8th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Oh Julie, I wish that I could claim that I was first. The press conference started at 11 am and lasted about 45 minutes. By the time I biked home and posted the pics, Gothamist and Brownstoner had already beaten me to it!
August 8th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Yes, but you had the most comprehensive pictures. Gothamist and Brownstoner had the standard shot from the corner of my parents’ house that everyone takes - but you captured and showed off the beauty of the whole block. Thanks!
August 8th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Congrats! Jealous, but congratulations to all the winners, finalists, and semis.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
it just shows that we are here, we love our homes, we want to take care of them and past them down to our children. We’ve been dong it for years. it is a beautiful thing…
peace
August 8th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Thanks for the photos, it was nice to see the real story.
Congratulations to all on the block!
August 8th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Congrats to the winners! Having tried (and so far failed) to turn my front planters into a thing of beauty, I know how much work it is!
August 9th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Hey Changeling:
Was that you on the green NYCBIKE that I talked to at the press conference? If so, I loved your bike, and I love what you are doing with this Blog! Thanks for coming and covering the event, and all that you are doing for our neighborhood.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Yes that was me! It was great chatting with you! Thanks for the kind words.