Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

Park Slope Miracle: Boymelpark Open (Unofficially)

November 17th, 2008 · 9 Comments

Making the rounds on Fourth and Fifth Avenue over the weekend we found some fences down and the place formally known as Terrapin Playground, which we like to call the Boymelpark in honor of Novo Park Slope developer Shaya Boymelgreen, open. The handball courts were in use. The brand new dog run was available. The adjacent skateboarding park was open. It’s all behind the Novo Park Slope which is bound to cause some very exciting interactions between condo buyers and park users. The status of the park, which was rebuilt by Boymelgreen after being used for construction staging for the condo, has been a bone of contention for more than a year. It’s opened more than a year later than expected and at one time the local community board was suggested denying the Novo a certificate of occupancy until the developer completed and opened the park. Well, here it is.


Awe, ain’t it cute.


Ye Olde Handball court.


Skatepark, which should provide some excitement with the larger dogs.


A future water feature. Meantime, hate to see a chihuahua fall into it.


A dog’s eye view of Novo Park Slope.

Tags: Park Slope · Parks

9 responses so far ↓

  • 1 m // Nov 17, 2008 at 10:04 am

    How complete/incomplete is it?
    are the double gates up on the dog run?

  • 2 Ben // Nov 17, 2008 at 11:39 am

    That “skatepark” is pathetic.

  • 3 iheartbk // Nov 17, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Where is the entrance to the new dog run? Can you get to it directly from 4th Ave. or 3rd St.?

  • 4 ff // Nov 17, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Very thoughtful to include a fire hydrant for the dogs to pee on.

  • 5 Anonymous // Nov 18, 2008 at 9:22 am

    That dog run is pathetic. What a ghetto. A tree or two would help.

  • 6 huh // Nov 18, 2008 at 10:38 am

    why would a tree or two help?
    considering the condition of the other dog runs in the area, this is far from pathetic
    I know many people dog owners int he neighborhood are excited about it
    If you would like to start a community group to get a park that you consider to be not pathetic I would be more than happy to join, until then I will enjoy what the city is providing.

  • 7 Joe // Nov 18, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    Wasn’t this a run down old, paved ball field? I think it looks kinda cool. Huge improvement. I would like to see official comments from NYC Parks and the Developer, they are the ones that made the deal. Stuff happens, so be it. Being part of the Community I am just happy to see it close to being done. So it ran a little late, so what. Our kids don’t mind and neither do our dogs. Thanks

  • 8 camera club // Nov 18, 2008 at 2:42 pm

    all the space and that’s the “skatepark” they built? what a waste.

  • 9 fuzedog // Dec 2, 2008 at 11:30 pm

    The official dog park entrance after 4th st ends (just keep walking towards 4th Ave). It does have double gates. The signs say it closes at Dusk (and is only for small dogs). There doesn’t appear to be any lights setup for after it gets dark. I was there around 7pm and it was a ghost town. Howerver there is also a make shift dog run which is really just a much of mud and tree stumps near by on 4th street were some big dogs were playing off leash.