I'm a passionate fan of Adirondack chairs, so when I heard that Prospect Park had some sort of installation of them, I thought: One, gotta have a look. And two, How will they keep people from stealing them? Adirondack chairs, those slopey wooden totems of lakeside living, aren't cheap; after our pair finally rotted away years ago, we still haven't sprung for new ones.
According to the Park, "The Prospect Park Alliance and Paul Smith’s College present Park It, an invitation to enjoy Brooklyn’s largest living work of art from the comfort of handcrafted Adirondack chairs located throughout the Park. Each site was carefully selected to highlight the Park’s geographical richness and natural beauty, which was inspired by the rustic charm of the Adirondacks."
The chairs, in pairs, are sprinkled around the park; I'm going to try to visit all 10 locations and take a 50X telephoto shot while seated. A week or two ago, Spouse and I tried out the closest ones, perched on a sunny hill overlooking the "splash pad" of the Lakeside Center.
The chairs all have inspirational quotes on them. These two read:
"To sit in the shade on a fine day...is the most perfect refreshment." --Jane Austen.
And, more cryptically:
"You can't study the darkness by flooding it with light." --Edward Abbey
Light--in the form of blazing sun--flooded these particular chairs, pace Miss Austen, so our occupation didn't last long. But it was great to watch the kids frolic in the water.
You're not allowed onto the water without a child...
...a sad fate for grownups (and dogs).
I'd never heard of Paul Smith's College. This small "College of the Adirondacks" upstate offers hands-on programs in forestry, culinary arts, and environmental studies. Thanks for the chairs, folks--and for remembering to chain them together to foil chair-nappers. This is, after all, the Brooklyn Adirondacks.