Jonah Goldstein has been with Brooklyn Bridge Park for three years as a gardener on the Horticulture team. Transitioning from a seasonal gardener to a full-time zone gardener, Jonah is happy to have spent several years tending to his favorite part of the Park: The Pier 3 Outboard.
“Even before I worked here, that was my favorite part of the Park,” Jonah said. “I have the Labyrinth, Plaza and Cliffs sections of the Pier 3 Outboard, which arc around the meadow…it’s a privilege, honestly.”
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Horticulture team is tasked with taking care of a park that is uniquely positioned between the East River and Brooklyn Queens Expressway, with many avenues for invasive species to enter and take root. This makes Brooklyn Bridge Park a complex space to manage, and the Horticulture team works together to balance everything.
“Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates set the tone by developing a very complicated planting that demanded a very intricate and involved maintenance regime,” Jonah said. “It’s a very challenging condition, and we’re trying to grow a very diverse, vibrant, dynamic palette, and so we rely on each other.”
Jonah became involved in horticulture by working in education, and has had the opportunity to broaden his knowledge of the study by attending conferences in various parts of the world.
“I really value the ways in which this job connects me to the broader horticultural community,” he said. “It’s such a special industry. I feel like I’m constantly growing just from getting to be exposed to other people’s ideas and work.”
Jonah’s favorite staff tradition is playing basketball at All Staff Day, an outdoor barbecue for everyone on BBP’s staff to enjoy. He is proud to work in a Park that maintains a high standard of care for its visitors.
“Brooklyn Bridge Park is a special place,” he said. “I think it’s rare for this level of public investment in creating space for everybody. I think it’s rare for parks to be able to afford this level of care.”