York Boulevard Parklet

Something new and interesting in Highland Park last time I saw it it was in pieces due to getting hit by a car. Hope no one was sitting there when that happened

It’s a cute nice place for the kids but ok it was too hot for the kids to play. So I just decided to go eat instead of killing the kids in the heat. We will come back once it’s cooler. Lots of play area and slides.

I have mixed emotions about the parklet. The concept is new to me. There is a positive energy around the novelty of a converted parking space that provides a resting place for men vs. machines. However there is also a sense of loss in my heart, because a parklet seems a compromise to a park. Part of my sentiment comes from the fact that the same day I discovered the York Blvd Parklet I discovered the majestic Bolsa Chica Wetlands reserve in Huntington Beach.
Kudos to the people that made the parklet. It does cause me to think about the retail street differently than I otherwise would. It teases the imagination to see a banal space being used differently than one otherwise might expect.
You’re probably on York Boulevard for some other reason than visiting the parklet so stop by for a looklet.

It looks like crap and it’s not very well constructed. My son broke one of the cables. Way to go LA. Your tax dollars at work. Big FAIL!!!

Love the new parklet. We grabbed some icecream nearby at scoops after hitting up the post office and a couple of new stores, and hung out here for a bit to enjoy the afternoon. I love the colourful design, and the parklet really adds character to the strip. That York/​50^th area really is trendy/​cool now, with new stores and art galleries opening up all the time (or at least every time I seem to visit/​drive by). I want to go there again during the next NELA artwalk.

the york boulevard parklet is the result of a community project that began with the question «how would you like to improve your street?»
the first in a series of parklets the city is building around los angeles (the others are downtown and in el sereno), and following closely on the heels of the sunset triangle plaza experiment in silver lake, the york boulevard parklet can be found in highland park in the middle of a rapidly gentrifying street block.
spearheaded by council member josé huizar and in collaboration with green LA’s living streets initiative, the parklets are designed to re-​purpose metered parking spots and create public, communal spaces that extend the sidewalk into the street in hopes of enriching a vibrant street life.
i enjoyed the mosaics and the tile work is pretty neat. i especially like the incorporation of community elements (street photos, tiles sponsored by local businesses, and other community markers) into the design of the benches but so far, i’m not too impressed. there isn’t enough of a barrier between the street and sidewalk and as a result, trash is blowing off the streets right into the parklet. the parklets downtown solved this problem more efficiently with clearly delineated borders that define and protect the parking space and i wish they had done something similar on york boulevard.
there’s also not a lot of green space incorporated into the parklet, basically there are a couple of planters built into the tops of the two benches that hold small succulent gardens. i understand why the city would make these choices, those kinds of plants require almost no care to survive, but it leaves the space feeling a bit sterile, with it’s mix of wood and concrete.
it remains to be seen how well this will fulfill it’s function of enriching the street life. while i was visiting, some worker (maybe the owner?) came outside the hardware shop the parklet is directly in front of and kept staring at me, making me feel really uncomfortable, and people passing by seemed to treat it as more of a curiosity than an inviting space but perhaps with time, the york boulevard parklet will prove itself to be a community gathering place.

Wow! Los Angeles finally has its first parklet… What a dream come true! I have fantasies every day about eating ice cream here on the beautiful mosaic benches of the York Bl Parklet. The other day I stopped here to text my friend. What a great thing, to have a nice place to sit while making plans! No danger of tripping, getting hit by a car, or stepping on a crack, nope just sitting safe on the parklet bench!
Maybe I will have my next birthday party here! I hope the city makes sooooo many more parklets, especially in Northeast LA!