These people took the mundane and made it beautiful! A Toronto parking lot makeover has transformed these residents' shared driveway into a green paradise. The neighbours who led the project say it has improved their community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The families were finding themselves hard-pressed to come up with things for their kids to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. So they decided to take a collective parenting style.
None of them had backyards of their own, so they created a shared play space for their children right there in their shared driveway.
Forest Hill resident Jesse Goldfarb told Narcity in a phone interview that they began to grow the space slowly. “We started with some Kijiji toys and then it sort of snowballed," he explained.
He noted that once they added the turf, "we have not left the space." Various companies have reached out to supply other items, he said.
Fast-forward to completion and they now have turf, water features, outdoor seating, and tons of toys!
In an interview with CTV, Goldfarb admitted he didn't know his neighbours before the pandemic anywhere near as well as he does after this joint effort.
"Now, we know everything about them," Goldfarb said. "It’s really brought us quite close together while distanced."
The area was originally a four-spot parking lot for the neighbourhood vehicles, making it the perfect size for a shared community lawn.
Goldfarb posted a time-lapse video of the work on his Instagram account on July 18.
The families have hosted community events, such as yoga classes and movie nights in their new space — all physically distanced, of course!
Goldfarb’s youngest daughter Grace thinks the new space is just great: "Since getting the grass I've been able to do lots of cartwheels and somersaults and take my shoes off," she said in an email to Narcity.
That sounds appealing even for adults right now, to be honest.
"I never thought I would be able to take my shoes off in the parking spots," Grace added. "I'm also very thankful for my Papa getting it for us all."
Lauren Goldfarb added to Narcity by email that her family's safety and happiness is the most important thing to her, particularly during the last few months.
"Having this incredible outdoor space has provided us with just that plus, an extra special dose of fun, which we can all really use, five months into a pandemic!" she wrote.
Jesse Goldfarb noted to CTV the plan is for the green space to last until November, or at very least the first snowfall after summer.