Long Island City is a vibrant Queens, New York, neighborhood known for restaurants, shops, galleries, event venues and million-dollar views across the East River. The location at 46th and 5th Street is footsteps from the waterfront featuring Gantry Plaza State Park, NYC Ferry dock and the famous neon-lit historic Pepsi Cola sign. It was the perfect place to turn parking spaces into a “street seat.”
A street seat, sometimes known as a parklet, turns parking spaces into people places by introducing seating, greenery and shade over asphalt. The Long Island Board of REALTORS® (LIBOR) chose the location to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of individuals who patronize local businesses—providing a safe and inviting place to rest, meet up, eat and enjoy the community.
“This was done during COVID to provide more outdoor space for distancing in a bustling Queens community,” said Marlo Paventi, the senior director of public policy and government affairs for LIBOR. “It is boxed in and protected from cars by large planter boxes that have bench seating built into them.”
A National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Placemaking Grant funded the project that immediately became part of the growing neighborhood’s fabric. The space is shaded by a large sunshade sail provided by Rockaway Brewing Company.
The colorful theme of the street seat matches a mural on the face of the adjacent Rockaway Brewing Company. Rockaway agreed to cover the liability and maintenance of the space.
LIBOR also used an NAR Placemaking Grant to create the Wyandanch Senior Center Community Garden. The garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables to a local soup kitchen and the Wyandanch Senior Nutrition Center.
The town horticulturist oversees the garden, which produces various fruits and vegetables depending on the season. The garden was created on less than an acre of town-owned land by the senior center parking lot. It features raised beds to allow people with limited mobility to access gardens.
“The Wyandanch Senior Center Community Center not only provides access to fresh produce, but also fosters a sense of community and well-being among our residents,” said Babylon Town Supervisor Richard Schaffer and Deputy Supervisor and Councilman Antonio Martinez, in a joint statement. “Furthermore, the provision of free produce in a lower-income community like Wyandanch is a testament to our commitment to addressing food insecurity and promoting healthy eating habits.”
The LIBOR community amenity initiatives, funded by NAR grants, are excellent examples of the power of cross-generational projects that provide connections for future generations.
For more information, visit https://www.nar.realtor/.
