The People's Money (2022-2023)

What problem would you like to solve?

Sara D Roosevelt Park, the largest open green space serving low- and moderate-income families from the Lower East Side and Chinatown, has seen a major escalation in violence and drug dealing in the past three years. One of the key problem areas surrounds the Stanton Parkhouse, a NYC Parks Department building which was once a community center but which, for decades now, has been closed, dark on nights and weekends, and used only for storing supplies for all Manhattan Parks. Our coalition of neighborhood residents, small businesses, and nonprofits seeks to creatively activate and light the site around the building to foster a safer, more welcoming environment.

Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?

The dense nature of the Lower East Side/Chinatown, which has only 18% of its neighborhood dedicated to parks or green space, makes access to green space a necessity for the health and well-being of residents. The park is within an “Environmental Justice Area" whose residents are predominately people of color (see https://bit.ly/LESdemog (External link)) and one block from the Bowery, serving a broad cross section of <>residents, including tenants from two NYCHA developments, housing built for the deaf, seniors from local senior centers (one located in the park), four immigrant ELL public high schools, and early childhood programs at University Settlement.

But due to its location in a traditionally immigrant and low-income neighborhood, the Stanton Parkhouse and surrounding park area has suffered from decades of neglect and underinvestment. The area at Stanton Street, surrounding the closed building, has been dormant and dark, as well. In response to acts of violence and drug dealing in the area, NYC Parks fenced off a large portion of the site adjacent to the building, but the result has simply been to decrease the local green and play space available to children and families (the drug dealing has continued) and to make the Stanton Parkhouse area feel even more dangerous and unsafe to residents. 

What idea do you have to address the problem?

As a volunteer coalition of residents, nonprofit organizations, and small business owners, we are working to find ways to build greater safety in the park through creative activations — such as programs for gardening, exercise, arts, music, climate education, green markets, repair workshops and special evening events. We have had success already with occasional pop up programming at the site, which brought community together and generated enormous positive response. We are seeking support and funding to expand on this beginning effort, transforming the site with regular activities serving LES/Chinatown families, seniors, students, and other community groups. In the wake of COVID, the frightening, racist attacks on Asian Americans with their profound impact on Chinatown, the ongoing destruction of African American youth through K2 drug sales and violence, and the murders of a number of homeless individuals, transforming the Stanton Parkhouse area from a perceived threat to a welcoming and diverse public space for gathering and rebuilding a sense of community is vital.

Who would that help?

Accessible green spaces where people from our diverse neighborhoods can gather, enjoy, and play in safe environments is a critical need for the Lower East Side and Chinatown communities surrounding the park, with particular benefit for low-income families, seniors, and youth.

What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?

LES/Chinatown