Jazz in the park

Jazz legend Lou Donaldson, 80, performing at last week's jazz festival in Echo Park in Mount Hope, a free event put on by Mount Hope Housing Company and Chase Bank. (Photo by David Greene)

In the 1980s this four-acre park - the only green space in the area - was a dumping ground and a haven for drug dealers. Most of the apartment buildings at the park's north end, on Burnside Avenue, lay abandoned. In recent years, however, things have taken a turn for the better, and in 1997 Mount Hope Housing Company began holding an annual "Drug Free and Proud To Be Day" - a day of fun, food, and festivities for all the family. The aim is to encourage local residents to take a stand against drugs in the neighborhood. Last year 3,500 people attended. This year's event is on Saturday August 11. If you wish to be a sponsor, you can call Tee Lawton at (718) 299-2051 ext. 16.