The so-called Bed-Stuy Aquarium, named after the surrounding Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, was formed when the leaky hydrant carved out the shallow pool next to a tree bed 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" over the summer by people concerned about their welfare. That angered others, who said the fish were fine, restocked the pool and set up a watch.
Oh my God," said Sofia Talavera, 24, her hands raised to her head as she looked at the spot. "People actually took their time and their money to make it beautiful. This was literally the community coming together.
After media attention and some donations, organizers kept building out the site, adding signage, decorations and seating. A bootleg sign designed to look like an official Parks Department plaque read "BEDSTUY AQUARIUM," and a telephone pole was painted with palm-size goldfish surrounded in blue.
Two visitors from California who came to the site Friday morning said they had planned to send a picture to friends in Los Angeles who had were obsessed from afar. "Now we have to break the news," said Adam Aguilar, a visual artist.
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