I agree. There are abandoned condos in serious limbo for about 20+ years, and it's time to get the city to move forward w/ demo orders and somehow buy the land from the development to make it a park.Here's an old NHI article about the spot, which would be perfect: http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/condos_remain_a_dream/ Alex Rhodeen, your alderman, knows about the property.

Yes, TT, that spot would be great. Any spot would be great as long as it's safe and in the open. Something along the river would be wonderful.

What about the lot that the Quaker Friends are trying to give back to the city or right at the entrance to Quarry Park? That area is nice a quiet yet not too close to the neighbors' homes.

There is a plot of land at the corner of E. Grand Ave and Lexington that is vacant. Could this be turned into a park for our neighborhood?

Aren't there laws addressing vacant decrepit properties remaining unused for 25 years?!

Seriously, what are the first few steps for this? Anyone know?

I have BIG dreams of a childrens park on our side of the river... I know the little park on Front that you mention cost 70K.

Ouch, I hope the 70K was mostly the water fountain and paving the area. I'd be happy with an enclosed area with a sandbox and a slide :)

The plot of land on Grand and Lexington would be perfect especially since it is right across the street from the fire station. As of right now it just accumulates the garbage that people cant seem to find a place to put.

All for this. My current toddler exercise consists of riding the tricycle down to the fuel tank and back or cruising to front street park. Honestly, I think having one on Quinnipiac in the empty lots across from the existing park would be a nice excuse to clean them up and improve the waterfront vibe our neighborhood is going for.

Unfortunately, I know the city is not buying more park land right now as we already have more per square mile than most cities. Too bad, as parents in the heights are starting to feel safer than they ever have in the past ten years (as the explosion in trick or treating good will demonstrated quite nicely last fall) and a place to play separated from a school would be a nice addition for those of us who want our children to socialize with each other safely.

Drop a playground on the empty lot across from Quinnipiac and Aner on the opposite side of the river from the Quinnipiac River park on front street. We can call it Quinnipiac River Park East. I'll keep it clean and free of vagrants with no cost to the taxpayers and know that all the adjoining properties would be delighted to see the land used for children and improve property values.

Joseph, my neighbor heard there was talk of a playground being built there in the past and the neighbors opposed it. I think that spot would be perfect too, because it's so incredibly hideous now.

Dave, I'm with you. I would help pay for things myself and clean/maintain it. I know there are so many families with kids in the neighborhood, and we're missing out on meeting each other and our kids getting to play together because there's no place to meet (except for the Farmer's Market for a couple hours a few months a year.)

Hoping someone from Parks and Recreation can jump in and tell us what land they have and how we can use it. I wrote Alex a while ago, but haven't heard back yet.

Love it. I will contact Alderman Rhodeen as well. I'm sure he will have some sound advice and can point us the right direction. If we could get the lot on the opposite side of the river to become a park people would be opening businesses in their oyster house basements. GT would probably be able to rent the glassed in portion of the "smokestack building". It would reeeealy make this neighborhood become a place to visit in town. (A mini wooster square if you will.) Old euro style cafe' culture, crazy moving bridges, marinas, bottle shop, pizza, a big interesting loop with tons of offstreet fun, we could have summer concert series.... free parking. ;) Sounds like crazy talk maybe, but I doubt you would find an opponent in the houses facing West.

And did I mention a HUGE fenced in playground, sandbox, and six seat swingset!!! Probably crazy talk, I know. But everything of this scale sounds like crazy talk at first, right?

HA! I love your enthusiasm, Dave! Let me tell you, if your dream comes true, I'd stop dreaming of selling my house and moving somewhere else.

If I create a public discussion forum for our neighborhood, am I allowed to post the link here so those of us with crazy ideas can talk off this site too?

Sorry to be picky, but right across from an active fire house is NOT an ideal spot for young children to be. The sound of the frequent fire truck horn is WAY TO LOUD. I have two very young kids and I would NOT take them to a park in front of a busy fire station. perhaps Rodeen can refer us to a different spot... one, more scenic and with less noise pollution.

Sorry to be picky, but right across from an active fire house is NOT an ideal spot for young children to be. The sound of the frequent fire truck horn is WAY TO LOUD. I have two very young kids and I would NOT take them to a park in front of a busy fire station. perhaps Rodeen can refer us to a different spot... one, more scenic and with less noise pollution.

Well, I hope you do not sell your house and move away frustrated. I've been here for ten years and can understand the urge... but the responsible home owners who have stuck around have been like penicillin in an infection and are multiplying rapidly. This chunk of of town is a rare diversified functioning gem and will become a place we can all brag about living in soon enough.

The old grassroots tendency to "look the other way" has been replaced by "speak up and ACT". The tolerance for criminals, vagrants, and other behavior that drives people with children away has become unacceptable and is acted upon directly by homeowners who live in and improve their properties. These things always ebb and flow, but we are on a verrrrrrrry nice upswing now and need to continue the trend.

A massive playground in a riverside park would be a nice step in the right direction too, eh?

Also agree with "terrafloodwake" the noise IS bad, drivers drive like Euro motocross down the hill to catch a green light at the Quinnipiac intersection, very little sunshine with the big church on the opposite corner, but mostly because I'm a selfish jerk and want it near my house where I can pick up the place every day and make more friends. :)

For anyone interested, here's a space dedicated to our neighborhood:
http://fairhavenheights.blog.com/

I'd love for anyone interested in building our community further, and banding together to make improvements, to contribute and/or publicize the blog to our neighbors.

A park on the east side of the river with a real playground would be a dream come true. Please City of New Haven hear our needs.

The issue has been inspected and prioritized for action.

Lewis Street Park, Criscoulo Park, Clinton Ave School, Columbus School, Jepson School all have playgrounds in this general vicinity