Mural at Atlantic Avenue Underpass
The first time I saw the mural was during the fourth of July, last summer. It was still in development when I walked by the Atlantic Avenue Underpass to see the fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6. I didn’t realize until afterwards that you couldn’t see the fireworks from that side. Although my journey was fruitless, I did get to see a group of people in white t-shirts painting the wall of the underpass. Growing up in Brooklyn Heights, I have seen the neighborhood change rapidly. At first the price of a slice of pizza was two dollars, currently it is two dollars and seventy-five cents. And where was once a barbershop at the corner of my block, now stands a Rite Aid store. While most of the changes have made the neighborhood much more crowded and Manhattan like, thanks to the Barclays Center, the addition of the mural was something that I actually appreciated and respected. I usually avoided walking to the park at Pier 6, only because there seemed to be nothing around that area besides the highway. But now the mural’s colorful appearance makes the walk through the dreadful underpass much more lively and vibrant. Not only does the mural brighten up the underpass, it pays homage to the culture and history of the neighborhood by adding images of the small boutique like stores found around in the neighborhood and the Brooklyn Bridge. The mural was sponsored by the Brooklyn Nets who reached out to Groundswell, an organization that uses artists and youth to make a collective change.
