Fort Greene Park, Before & After

Newcomers might have trouble picturing it — but not long ago, Fort Greene Park looked a lot different than it does today. 

"There was graffiti everywhere ... walkways were torn up ... walls were falling down," said Ruth Goldstein, former president of the Fort Greene Park Conservancy.

And though the park today is in many ways a showpiece for the entire borough, playing host to dozens of events like this weekend's , it wasn't always that way — and Goldstein has the pictures to prove it.

"The Conservancy really came about by accident," she said. "[It was] a group of neighbors [forming] a home gardening club that was more of a social thing than anything else because most of our gardens were in fairly good shape ... then somebody suggested taking our skills to the park."

It was an effort that was not initially well received by the city Department of Parks and Recreation, according to Goldstein.

"We met with considerable resistance from Parks ... they didn't really want us doing a whole lot," she said.

Then according to Goldstein everything changed, thanks to former Parks commissioner Henry Stern. 

"Once Henry became commissioner ... we saw almost a complete turn around," she said. "He really loved the park and had a great deal of confidence in the local citizenry."

During Stern's tenure, the Conservancy was awarded a $350,000 restoration grant.

"By the time I came around a great deal of restorative work had already taken place and I found the park to be a great place to host events and I became involved that way," said Charles Jarden, chairman of the Fort Greene Conservancy.

Thanks to residents like Jarden and Goldstein, Fort Greene Park in 2011 has a busy social calendar.

"We really want Fort Greene Park to be a model for what an urban park can be," Goldstein said. "And groups like the take full advantage of this gem in our backyard."

However, both Jarden and Goldstein agree that there's still much to do.

"Irrigation and erosion are the biggest conditions that must be solved in the long term," Jarden said. "The irrigation put in 150 years is broken and needs an overhaul ... so things like the giant pit can be replaced with a lawn ripe for picnics."

Even with much to do, residents of Fort Greene should feel comfortable that the future of their beloved park is in good hands.

"What makes Fort Greene so unique is that we have a community that's very engaged with preserving the park," he said, adding, "It's a national treasure."

To find out more about the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, visit them online at http://www.fortgreenepark.org.