A sudden farewell to a guerrilla goldfish aquarium under a leaking Brooklyn fire hydrant

NEW YORK — A makeshift aquarium that appeared in a puddle under a leaking fire hydrant this summer has been paved over, to the horror of neighbors who have turned the site into a hangout and goldfish sanctuary.

The city’s Department of Environmental Conservation has long said that a dripping hydrant poses a safety hazard. On Friday morning, workers filled in the dirt area where the puddle used to be, and yellow tape cordoned off an area of ​​freshly poured concrete around a repaired hydrant, leaving it looking like the city’s smallest crime scene.

“Oh my God,” said Sofia Talavera, 24, raising her hands to her head and looking at the scene. “People really spent their time and money making it beautiful. It was literally a community coming together.”

The so-called Bed-Stuy Aquarium, named after the surrounding Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, was formed when a leaky hydrant created a shallow pool next to a flowerbed on a residential street, and residents filled it with store-bought goldfish.

The pond was controversial from the start. Some of the fish were “rescued” in the summer by people concerned about their well-being. This angered others, who said the fish were fine, refilled the pool and set up surveillance.

After media attention and some donations, organizers continued to build out the site, adding signage, decorations and seating. The counterfeit sign, resembling an official Parks Department sign, read “BEDSTOOY AQUARIUM” and featured palm-sized goldfish surrounded by blue on a telephone pole.

The pond became easy for tourists to find after they started looking for it on Google Maps. Two visitors from California who visited the site Friday morning said they planned to send the photo to friends in Los Angeles who were obsessed with it from afar.

“Now we have to break the news,” said Adam Aguilar, a visual artist. His friend laid a bouquet of flowers next to two flickering candles at the makeshift memorial site.

It always seemed inevitable that the fish would eventually have to be removed. The fire department needs hydrants to be in working order. Winter was approaching.

Firefighters repaired the hydrant Tuesday, but residents quickly filled the pond with water and fish. Videos on social media show testy exchanges between locals and fire officials, as well as police protecting cement layers.

In a statement, the Department of Environmental Protection said it “looks forward to working with community members to find a suitable alternative location for this makeshift gem,” adding: “This allows us to keep New Yorkers safe by ensuring that a previously leaking fire the hydrant will not freeze and fail.”

The remaining goldfish were removed and placed in a bucket, the department said.

Some residents have expressed optimism that the pond can be moved to a nearby community garden, while others are pushing to transform an abandoned storefront on the block into an indoor aquarium and hangout space. Organizers most involved in the effort declined to comment.

On his way to work, 28-year-old John Fryer passed by the site and joked to friends: “Anyone got a jackhammer?”

He stopped to try to draw a goldfish on the wet concrete. Across the road, an environmental lorry officer warned him not to do so with a long honk, supported by a police officer in another vehicle.

“They just can’t let us have anything, can they? I can’t believe Eric Adams,” Fryer said, referring to the city’s mayor.

Adams’ media team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

City officials have sometimes clashed or negotiated with residents over the use of fire hydrants, which have long been used to create coolant spray zones during the hot summer months. Ultimately, a compromise was reached in which residents could apply for a permit to use a low-flow sprayer borrowed and installed by a fire department.

For Talavera, the disappearance of the aquarium means the loss of late-night hangouts, which, unlike city parks, could not be closed at night.

After the New York Liberty recently won the WNBA National Championship, they posted a grainy image of a hydrant on Instagram. It said, “Last night was so great I had to go to the aquarium to celebrate.”