Parkman Triangle Is A Reality

Yesterday, we had a fantastic turnout for our work on Parkman Triangle. I asked Ara Babaian to share his thoughts on this project. I will invite others working on Parkman Triangle to give their views and hopes for a plan that we hope catches on in LA. Let me start with Ara!--LK/GGP

On Saturday, March 13, 2010, over 20 residents of Silver Lake and a few others from as far away as Brentwood volunteered at the future site of  Parkman Triangle to spread, mix and compact the fill dirt with clean base.  Parkman Triangle will be a micro-park situated in this high-traffic, urban residential part of Silver Lake—an “urban lounge” of sorts where walkers will hang out for a few minutes, get some shade, and then move on.  This urban lounge, to be called “Parkman Triangle” because of its triangular shape and its location at the intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and Parkman Avenue, will provide much needed green space to this part of Silver Lake just south of Sunset Boulevard.  But Parkman Triangle will do more than just add some green—it will also serve as the focal point for this part of Silver Lake which is not quite as developed as the areas near the Reservoir and at Sunset Junction.

The community turnout this past Saturday was impressive by any measure.  It is clear that, despite the depressed economy (or perhaps because of it), people are eager to get some dirt under their fingernails and be involved in a project that will have a lasting imprint on the City of Los Angeles for generations to come. 

I live about a block away from the site.  When I moved into the neighborhood over seven years ago, things were already changing.  Some criticize the change as gentrification—certainly, real property values have increased as amenities such as bars, restaurants and shops have mushroomed in the area.  But I would argue that most of the change is for the better—I believe many of the residents choose to live in this pocket of Los Angeles because of its ethnic and cultural diversity.  In addition, I can only name a handful of chain stores in Silver Lake (which also tend to be on the outer edges of this neighborhood), primarily due to local resistance to those types of stores.  As a result, most of the establishments in Silver Lake—new or old—are owned by locals.  Alegria, Café Tropical, Pazzo Gelato, Pho Café, Local Restaurant, Silver Lake Wine Shop….these are just a handful of those locally owned businesses.

Similarly, Parkman Triangle will be an addition to Silver Lake that is community-organized and –developed.  The purpose is not to change the neighborhood beyond recognition, but to enhance what is already there.  In this case, we got rid of about 2,000-square feet of asphalt and, in its place, are planting three shade-providing trees and drought-resistant shrubs in accordance with the designs developed by local architect John Southern of Urban Operations Studio.  Thanks to Southern’s forward-thinking design, Parkman Triangle will have minimal architectural elements so that the area feels more like a small nature preserve within this dense, historic neighborhood. 

Leon Kaye, founder and editor of the site GreenGoPost.com, has also been a significant contributor to this effort, deploying his insights into environmental matters and his hands-on enthusiasm.

For me, this project shows that, with a little bit of money and logistic support from the City of Los Angeles, a community organization can really enhance a neighborhood.  The City’s Office of Community Beautification gave us a $10,000 matching grant, and Council President Eric Garcetti contributed over $4,000 by arranging for the demolition and hauling of the asphalt at the site (actually, it was more asphalt than we thought was there—the digging unearthed two layers of street!).  We have also enjoyed the support of the Silver Lake Neighborhood City Council and the Silver Lake Improvement Association. 

For all these reasons, I hope that the City will not terminate the Community Beautification program, as I believe our urban lounge will inspire other similar efforts.

The second volunteer day will be on Sunday, March 21, where volunteers will continue to work on Parkman Triangle, moving dirt and planting the three trees.  If you want to get involved, we’ll be there from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.