NYC puddle fish pond weathers threats, thefts to just keep swimming: ‘A little oasis’
They’re still swimming!
The fire-hydrant fish pond in Bedford-Stuyvesant is still going strong despite threats from the city — and a plague of sticky-fingered passers-by who kept swiping the goldfish from their curbside home.
A puddle from the leaking Brooklyn fire hydrant became home to about 50 goldfish put there by locals a few weeks ago, and the population ballooned to 200 fish once the creators saw how popular they were with the neighbors and added to the numbers.
“My friend came up with the idea, and we thought it was just, like, a little thing that was possible, so he went and got the fish, we cleaned it out, and then we went from there, doing more things, and then from there it just kept getting bigger and bigger,” Hajj-Malik Lovick, 47, told The Post on Tuesday.
But the 200-strong school of little orange fish dwindled to about 100 once people started stealing them.
The culprits eventually knocked it off once they realized that there were cameras trained on the area, Lovick said.
There is now a bright yellow sign warning would-be robbers to keep their hands in their pockets.
“It’s for observation only!” the sign read. “You’re being watched.”
Lovick said of the thieves, “They made whatever excuse why – that they were rescuing it.
“But you don’t come out of a bar at 1:30 in the morning and take somebody’s fish,” he said. “It’s like going into somebody’s yard and taking something out of their yard – they would be stealing.”
The thieves were not the only ones threatening to upend the pond’s progress: Last week, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection sent several crews out to fix the hydrant, only to have the leak opened again after they leave.
Lovick admitted that there “were some calls” from critics about shutting down the pond but claimed that the DEP and Fire Department have since both given the fish pond their stamp of approval.
“The Fire Department has no problem with it,” he said. “They came and said there is no pressure lost, the caps are still on, it’s not a leaky hydrant, it’s a well-functioning hydrant. If something happens, the Fire Department has all access.”
The DEP did not return a Post request for comment Tuesday, but a rep previously said that the sidewalk fish pond “is not a suitable or safe location” for the fish.
“It’s imperative that our DEP operations team be allowed to fix the hydrant,” said Beth DeFalco, the DEP’s deputy commissioner for Public Affairs and Communications, at the time. “We love goldfish also, but we know there is a better home for them than on a sidewalk.”
Lovick joked that the only thing city officials might be irked about is the fact that “broke people with no money came up with this” — an uplifting local attraction that’s a hit with many.
Lovick said he stays focused on keeping the pond clean and safe for the fish and the passers-by who happily visit – especially children.
“We clean it every day, feed them and make sure that things are good for the kids to come by and see the fish,” Lovick said.
“I have no fish that died. They are well-fed,” he boasted, adding that he and his friends use their own pocket change to keep the effort going.
Followers stay updated on the pond’s progress on a GoFundMe, which shares frequent photos to show off new decorations brought by passers-by. As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised over half of its $2,000 goal.
“People come by and donate the shells, the flowers, the rocks, paint — all types of things to make it look better, to upgrade it and make it look decent for the community,” Lovick said.
“The GoFundMe is to make it bigger and better for the kids, make it more secure, more safe,” he said.
Maria Jose, 24, pulled her CitiBike up to the curb Tuesday morning with a wind chime to complement the small waterfall provided by the hydrant.
“I brought a wind chime because when I was here the other day, they were saying how these people were bringing different things, and they were saying how it is so serene and it’s like a little oasis in the middle of a very busy New York, and I think a wind chime is very relaxing, so it fits the vibe,” said Jose, who lives a block away from the pond.
Despite living so close to the spot, Jose said she first found out about the pond on social media.
“I feel like someone sent it to me on TikTok because now you know Tik Tok moves the world, but then I came over a couple days ago, and I saw it, and I think it’s really cute, so I came back again,” she told The Post.
Another neighbor, Joyce, said she has lived on the block for more than 20 years and saw the commotion near the pond when she stepped outside for a doctor’s appointment.
“I like it because it’s something new, something unusual, somebody came up with something original, somebody started something new that’s nice!” said Joyce, who was born in 1945, as she leaned on her cane and watched the fish swim.
“We have never had a fish pond on the block before, but we have had a million other things — block parties, reunions, but this is new,” she said.
Kyra Boyce, 5 and her brother, Jahvel Boyce, 7, stopped by on their way to a nearby park with their mom.
Asked how many times they have stopped by the see the fish, they both held up three fingers, looking very enthusiastic.
“I like the fish and the shells and the flowers because they look beautiful,” Kyra said.
Kyra then bent over, looking at the fish.
“That one is not moving. It’s dead,” she said.
Lovick let them feed the fish, and the kiddies got so excited when the fish rushed to get the food.
“Oh, it’s not dead,” Kyra said when fish she thought had died started moving.
Her older brother, Jahvel, said, “Some of the fish are the same color.
“It reminds me of me swimming in St. Vincent,’’ he said.
Lovick said he enjoys watching the pond bring the community together.
“We love that we can make the community happy, sit around and talk to one another, no matter the color, no matter the race — we love it,” he said.
“So now we see everybody coming together, talking about it — the kids, the adults — and it ain’t too much of that around here.”
When the weather turns and the temperature drops, the group behind the fish pond plans to donate the remaining fish to the neighborhood kids.
They will start fresh with a new school under the fire hydrant next year, Lovick explained.
“This is going to be an annual thing,” he said.
“I thank everybody that loves it, who are there for us and wants to see the community look better and uplifted.”
