New Bed-Stuy
collective kicks
off weekend
events at Fulton’s
Black Lives
Matter mural
BY BEN VERDE
The block-long Black Lives
Matter mural in Bedford-
Stuyvesant will serve as a
town square through Labor
Day, where socially-distant
activities will take place each
weekend to provide a muchneeded
boost for locals — and
nearby businesses.
Hosted by the Bedford-
Stuyvesant Mural Collective,
the fi rst weekend of events
along the Fulton Street mural
COURIER L 20 IFE, AUGUST 7-13, 2020
Black Lives Matter Plaza on Fulton
Street opened up to summer activities
on Aug. 1. Locals participated
in roller aerobics, among other distanced
activities.
Photos by Lloyd Mitchell
included outdoor exercise
classes, meditation and
stretching, skate aerobics,
and a socially-distanced
dance party.
“We wanted to create a
wellness event for the community
while still practicing
safe distance,” said Keith Forest,
who helped organize the
event. “It went pretty well.”
Local stakeholders say
they hope the events will
draw more foot traffi c to businesses,
which have struggled
immensely during the coronavirus
pandemic, while continuing
to celebrate the Black
Lives Matter mural and its
message.
“The goal is to bring awareness
about the mural, but not
only that, to help bring safe,
and large foot traffi c to the
businesses of Bed-Stuy,” said
Lynette Battle, deputy director
of the Bedford Gateway
Business Improvement District.
While Fulton Street businesses
did not report an increase
in sales during the
fi rst weekend of festivities,
Battle hopes that, as word
spreads of the activities, attendance
will increase and
sales will follow.
“Maybe after the second
week they will see that increase,”
she said. “You know
how word-0f-mouth works —
it takes a moment — but they
are optimistic that hopefully,
it will.”
BY SUSAN DE VRIES
A gentle rain didn’t prevent
Brooklynites from standing on
line, in appropriate social distance
style, for the reopening
of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
on July 31. Closed to the
public since mid-March, the
green space welcomed its fi rst
visitors back with directional
signs and instructions on how
to safely explore the garden.
Many pathways were designated
as one-way only to allow
pedestrians to loop through
gardens with as much distancing
as possible. Water fountains
were blocked off and most interior
spaces were off limits.
The initial week of timed
entry tickets is set aside for
garden members; the general
public will get their chance
to return starting Friday, August
7.
While visitors missed the
prime spring season, the summer
blooms obliged. Lilies,
hydrangeas, conefl owers and
hibiscus provided splashes
of color along the walkways.
More visitor arrived as the
morning progressed, and
while it took some adjusting
to stick to designated directions
on pathways that were
once open to roaming, it was
fairly easy to maintain social
distance and enjoy the peaceful
surroundings.
Looking lush were the
plantings of the Robert W.
Wilson Overlook, which were
just freshly planted when
it opened last fall. Located
adjacent to the Botanic Garden
visitor Center, the gently
sloping walkway provides a
sweeping vista of the Cherry
Esplanade and the garden beyond.
Benches along the walkway
include new placards
about social distancing and
sanitizing.
Closed since before the pandemic
shutdown, the Lily Pool
Terrace remains off-limits
while restoration of the brickwork
and other repairs continue.
The cafe and gift shop
also remain closed.
Visits to the garden require
advance reservation of timedentry
tickets to ensure limited
capacity on the walkways.
Visitors are asked to wear
face masks, limit their stay to
three hours and bring their
own water. Opening dates for
the general public begin August
7 and the fi rst weeks of
opening will be free, although
donations to support the garden
are welcomed. New blocks
of tickets will be made available
two weeks in advance. For
full information, check out the
BBG’s reopening information
online at www.bbg.org/visit/
coronavirus_update.
Street
party!
Botanic Garden reopens to visitors
BROOKLYN
Smell the fl owers
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which had previously been closed for nearly fi ve months, welcomed visitors
again on July 31. Photo by Susan De Vries
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