What would you do if you ran Finsbury Park and had unlimited money?

JamieJamie · October 2014

Off the top of my head, I'd get rid of lots of the fencing, particularly around the lake and the new river. Maybe build a treetop viewing platform near the cafe for the views. Plant a load of trees along seven sisters road. And put some toilets in the corner by FP tube.

Arkady · October 2014

Space elevator

JamieJamie · October 2014

<div style="text-align: left;">strong</div>

Arkady · October 2014

To be slightly less facetious - for unlimited money you'd Eden Project it right? Not juts a manicured park, but a series of biodomes preserving various local and exotic ecosystems?<div><br></div><div>But yes, more trees along SS road would be nice. Or a thick a-framed hedge with a nice mix of native trees and shrubs.</div>

NorthNineteen · October 2014

Heated lido<br>Purpose designed/built landscaping ie. like Olympic Park<br>A couple more cafes<br>Decent toilets<br>Improved bridge over the railway line<br>Fountains<br><br>

Arkady · October 2014

<div>Stocks for those who abuse the park.<br>That might shake the Council up a bit.<br></div>

kreuzkav · October 2014

tug-of-war matches.

miss annie · October 2014

A maypole, peacocks and a bandstand where a brass band would play every Sunday afternoon. An old fashioned helter skelter. A big elaborate fountain with cherubs, lots of park keepers with the pointy sticks for picking up rubbish. Grazing sheep and goats, an ice cream parlour that sold sheep and goat milk ice cream as well as cow stuff. A walled garden with a mulberry bush in the middle, a massive 'pick your own' fruit garden. Yes to stocks. Anyone who voted for pimping out the park would have their heart gouged out with a spoon if they even looked at the park again, anyone who didn't clean up their dog's poo would have their noses rubbed in it. A treetop walkway like the one at Kew, massive spider monkey or ring tailed lemur enclosure.

miss annie · October 2014

And a model village. There are not enough of them.

Detritus · October 2014

I would relocate Lords to the park, have soup dispensers on every corner, ban small yappy dogs. <div><br></div><div>Or pave every inch and us it as Londons carpark running frequent and free park and ride into town, I would leave the cafe and lake as people would be able to get a drink whilst waiting for the bus. Sgr and Seven Sisters Road would benefit to the much higher foot fall, </div>

krappyrubsnif · October 2014

Put barbed wire round the edge and searchlights and use it as London's moral re-education camp for litter louts and people who don't pooper-scoop.

Thomas · October 2014

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><span style="line-height: normal;">this isn't unlimited money....but a new fund of up to £20k capital funding for community groups / organisations with interesting ideas for their local area (although they do need the support of the council). </span></font><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">I was at the launch yesterday and pocket parks / enhanced public realm are a particular area of interest for the GLA. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Perhaps a chance for the Stroud Green Square? Might even get a fountain for £20k</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><span style="line-height: normal;">http://londonist.com/2014/10/9m-fund-to-help-high-streets-launches.php</span></font><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br></span></font></div>

Detritus · October 2014

Or we could cover it in tents and house the poor, that way I wouldn't have to see them.

Detritus · October 2014

Interesting map of the richest areas in thr country .http://business.cartodb.com/viz/e1c7c42e-4a33-11e4-8e4e-0e853d047bba/embed_map

Idoru · October 2014

I would concrete over the whole thing and build a music arena and have bands on every weekend.

vetski · October 2014

Idoru, when did you start working for Haringey Council?

Detritus · October 2014

An all purposes properly built outside music venue is a great idea. In all seriousness i would get rid of all the covered benches subdivid some of the park into allotments get rid of the road completely. Put in a lido or open air swimming pool. Improve the basket ball and tennis courts. And for amusement put a miniature scale working steam railway with stations at all gates the cafe and my new lido and music venue. And build a proper community centre turn the park into a focal point for the local community. It's a huge area that's neglected and used as a cash cow.

Paulad777 · October 2014

Throw out Tescos and have a proper high street... Butchers, Bakers, Candlestick makers. Would be wonderful!

kreuzkav · October 2014

The park was quite good about five years ago before the summer activity went hyperactive. They'd done it up a bit. Twenty years ago it wasn't nice and a bit dodgy. <div><br></div><div>So I'd say to do some repairs on some of the structures. Make sure their's an active but discreet control of the park. Limit big music festivals. Better safe toilets. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

Sutent · October 2014

@Kreuzkav. What is a safe toilet?

kreuzkav · October 2014

@ Sutent. One where you feel safe from activities like mugging.

Detritus · October 2014

Who would want to mug a toilet?

Sutent · October 2014

@Kreuzkav. Thanks for clearing that up. I was thinking more of needle dispensers/bins and contraception access

kreuzkav · October 2014

@ Sutent. I've never noticed drug-taking or prostitution in the park or toilet area, but wasn't there some thread on here mentioning it. Anyway, wasn't the toilet in the middle of the park turned into an art gallery?

krappyrubsnif · October 2014

Simple. Employ more parkies. People tasked with keeping the park clean, safe and well maintained, given authority, paid and supported appropriately. Job done..

kreuzkav · October 2014

@ dEtroitus. You suggested tents for poor people. I suggest tents for the poshies who seem to be infiltrating this place. At least some noise machine to lower their yayaya tones. It could be put on trial outside the Park Theatre. Don't get me wrong love having a theatre here and the Vertical Hour is upon us but don't the poshies take over the footpath and all you can here is yayaya. Even the Weatherspoon crowd give space for people passing by.

ADGS · October 2014

John Jones demolished, replaced with a wood. Out of the centre of which rises my Isengard-style tower, from which I can survey the area and plan further improvements from a suitably elevated perspective. And I'm not saying I'd mysteriously disappear the abysmal busker, but if that were to happen, there probably wouldn't be much of an investigation.

kreuzkav · October 2014

All this makes me sad. What happened to this area being an interesting non-planned place with a few good bars, restaurants,cafes and places to walk. Now it's like full of 'interesting' restaurants', planned to the max, poshies everywhere. Depressing. Where's the edge.<div><br></div><div><br></div>

miss annie · October 2014

Last year some youths in the park threatened to murder me. Stoning was their suggested method for punishing me for daring to tell them that throwing rocks at the swans was not on. There were several people living in tents in the park last summer too. A teenager was stabbed just outside the park this summer, and there were rowdy illegal raves inside the park on a couple of consecutive nights. I don't we need worry about the park not being 'edgy' just yet. And there's always the drumming shack to give it that extra bit of something. Since Starbucks opened I have been asked for money outside the station more than I ever have in the whole time I have lived here, also witnessed some really quite blatant drug dealing on the seats outside (brought to attention of the staff). I don't think that the 'poshies' are the only people who see the opportunites opened up by the changes to the area.

kreuzkav · October 2014

@ Annie. So I want stabbing. Is that what you're saying? I don't. I don't understand your post. I stated I prefer the park now without the agro of years ago. I also prefer Stroud Green without the agro. But I don't feel it's safer now as the poshies attract thieves and it won't be long after the new shopping area is opened round the new development that security guards are placed at the entrance. I think SG was at its best ten fifteen years ago. It's going downhill now. Too much money and the thieves and chancers know it.

ADGS · October 2014

I don't get asked for 50p for the bus by crying liars nearly as much as I did 10-15 years ago. And Annie is clearly not saying that you want stabbing, just that the version you normally give of how the area has changed needs a lot more nuance than is sometimes evident.

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What would you do if you ran Finsbury Park and had unlimited money?

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