Saturday, December 28, 2013

Troutman Hanging Gardens

On the 24th, I took a walk into Bushwick to see something really weird, which I have begun calling the “Troutman Hanging Gardens”.
Hey, what do you do on Xmas Eve?
Anyhow, on Troutman Street (between Irving Ave and Knickerbocker Ave) in Brooklyn, there is a line of trees covered with toys, stuffed animals, paintings and other oddities.
As you walk upon them from either direction, it starts off small, where only one or two items hang from the trees.



But soon, you’ll find the trees covered.



Until you find the “Great Tree” in the center of the block.


Within this tree are cute items, like stuffed animals, but there are also odd ones, such as a gay Ken doll (complete with disco ball), and even a mask from the movie Scream.


Again, as you move away from the center, the trees get more and more bare, though some of the tschotskes are still eye catching.



No one is sure as to who has been doing this, or - at least - the locals ain’t saying. When asked, “Why?” many repeat, “To make our neighborhood look nicer.”


I’m not sure how “nice” this looks, but any answers to help solve this mystery are appreciated.