Deer On A Brooklyn Street?

Atlantic Avenue is one of the busiest streets in Brooklyn, stretching from one end of town to the other, yet in a corner garden on the corner of Hoyt Street, there is a community garden with deer living in it. Yes deer, but these are no ordinary deer they are sculptures and this is no ordinary garden with vegetables growing in it. It is a shade garden, a sanctuary that's a welcome site in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn's Boerum Hill section of the Borough.

The garden established in 1975 is one of the oldest community gardens in Brooklyn. It's 25' by 50' space was developed by The Hoyt Street Association, a group of neighbors and merchants who live and work in this quaint, well cared for community. It is maintained by a team of local volunteers called The Green Team, who plants, waters the flowers and makes sure that it's kept clean.

When you walk into the gated garden and look to the left, you'll see a large mural painted on a wall of a building that shelters the garden on one side. It's a painting of a large tree and adds a bit of coziness to the area. There are two large trees in the garden, one is an oak and the other is reported to be a species of meta sequoia. The ground is not covered with grass but has lovely cobblestones, designed in a sort of circular pattern of paths leading to several park benches. The center of the cobblestone circle is an area that's used for activities such as storytelling. There is an annual plant sale whose proceeds are used to help fund projects for the Boerum Hill community.

The park is not normally open to the general public but when it is, you can go in have a seat or admire the deer and the scenery. Most people get pleasure from walking by and looking in for a few minutes. It is certainly a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of the traffic on Atlantic Avenue.