Garibaldi Park’s Problems In Bensonhurst

Some neighbors no longer feel welcome at the Garibaldi Playground in Bensonhurst, and quite a few have emailed us expressing their concerns.

While some of them relate to the Parks Department, others just highlight lack of care among its patrons. On many days there is garbage everywhere – dirty diapers, Dorito bags, and “thousands of water balloons” not properly disposed – there are garbage cans that get emptied regularly, they just need to be used!

Bigger than trash, however, is the problem with the bathrooms.

The bathrooms at the park have been closed for several weeks now, resulting in just about everyone using surrounding corners and bushes to relieve themselves. One neighbor emailed us disgusted that she had just witnessed a lady relieve herself while sitting on the same park bench.

We checked with the Parks Department, and this is what they said: “Due to an electrical outage at this location, the comfort station is closed. Parks is working with Con Edison to diagnose the issue and get the bathrooms back up and running as soon as possible.” It really cannot be soon enough!

And even bigger than bathrooms seems to be safety. Last week a neighbor witnessed a group of teens smoking weed inside the playground around 2pm. The neighbor threatened a call to the police and they left. On another day, a group of pre teens  where hitting a ball very hard, and almost hurt a lady with a baby. When confronted they started “cursing and being aggressive and one of them even threat to swipe my phone when I was recording their bad behavior. The [parks department] worker in charge called his supervisor and asked for the police,” the neighbor writes.

Milestone Park next door has its problems too: “dog shit that is not being picked up, people gambling almost all the time, and using the bushes as bathrooms and tons of trash”, another neighbor writes. “I have seen men’s genitals exposed because they pee on the trees.”