Which Windsor Terrace And Kensington Projects Should The City Fund? Vote For 'State Of The Art' Gym, New Street Trees, More

BROOKLYN, NY — Seems like just yesterday every red-blooded New Yorker over age 14 was racing to the polls for Participatory Budgeting Vote Week 2016, making controversial neighborhood decisions like whether to divert taxpayer money toward a "Lake Mess Monster" aquatic weed harvester for Prospect Park or a fleet of roving "mobile studios" for starving artists in Gowanus.

JK. Only a few thousand residents (at most) in each of the city's 51 districts ever bother to vote in these things. The vast majority probably don't even know they exist.

Considering how much of our own cash is on the line, though, that's kind of a shame. And some of the proposals can be pretty rad — this year, for example, Windsor Terrace and Kensington residents have the chance to fund real-time bus countdown clocks outside F, G and R subway stations.

So what do you say we make 2017 the year Participatory Budgeting became the cool thing to do? You know, over a beer with a neighbor on a Friday night.

Scroll down for a list of projects in Windsor Terrace and Kensington vying for $1 million to $2 million in city funds this year.

If you're not familiar with any of them (and aren't much of a bus person), this whole process may seem like a waste of time. But think what a difference your vote could make for, say, a local school seeking a 3D printing lab for kids or simply an air-conditioning system for the "sweltering" cafeteria.

Now that we've guilted you into some good, old-fashioned community involvement: Before you vote, you'll have to figure out which City Council district you live in.

Unfortunately, because municipal governments can never do things the easy way, NYC's political districts aren't divided cleanly by neighborhood. So you'll have to plug in your address here to find your City Council district. Or, if you like to live on the edge, do your best to geolocate yourself in either the 38th or 39th district on these maps:

Once you know your City Council district — feels kinda good, doesn't it? — you can browse nearby projects in need of city funds. We've listed them below.

And once you've decided which ones you want to support, you can vote for your 5 favorites online (or in person) between Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, April 2.

That's pretty much it. Get to democratizing, you crazy kids:

WINDSOR TERRACE

If you live in Windsor Terrace and your home is located within Brad Lander's 39th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

FabLab for M.S. 442 Project-Based STEM Learning

• Wiring upgrade to support innovative FabLab with 3D printer, laser cutter and other equipment to develop tech savvy kids.
• M.S. 442, 500 19th Street, Windsor Terrace
• $200,000

Bring Water to Thomas Cuite Park (“Froggy Park”)

• Restore service to only water fountain in playground loved by locals and used heavily by 500 preschoolers from P.S. K280.
• 11th Avenue and 19th Street, Windsor Terrace
• $250,000

Realtime Bus Arrival Info near Subway Stops

• Install 8 countdown clocks at bus stops near subway exits, to enable informed decisions on transportation choices.
• Near F, G, R stops
• $200,000

If you, on the other hand, live in Windsor Terrace but your home is located within Carlos Menchaca's 38th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

Gymnasium Updates and Remodeling

• We would like to have a state of the art gym, which would include a heating/cooling system and technological upgrades.
• M.S. 88- 544 7th Avenue, Windsor Terrace/South Slope
• $500,000

Note: Partly because Menchaca's district is so funny-shaped and stretches all the way to the East River on one end and Borough Park on the other, many of this year's projects in the 38th are located a long way from Windsor Terrace. So if you aren't too jazzed on the hyperlocal options, check out the projects seeking funds in Sunset Park and Red Hook. You can choose any of those, too — just as long as they're within your City Council district. Solidarity, yo!

KENSINGTON

If you live in Kensington and your home is located within Brad Lander's 39th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

A/C for Sweltering P.S. 230 Cafeteria

• Large school seeks to make 3,400 sq-ft cafeteria bearable to enable year-round use as educational and community space.
• P.S. 230, 1 Albemarle Road, Kensington
• $300,000

Repavement of P.S. 130 Schoolyard

• Yard in dire need of new pavement/drainage. Floods and ice are big safety issues. The yard is school’s only gym space.
• P.S. 130 Lower School, 70 Ocean Parkway, Kensington
• $500,000

More Street Trees Throughout the District

• Add 35 trees with guards to provide shade and beautify the neighborhoods, especially where few or no trees exist.
• Streets in Kensington, Gowanus, Borough Park
• $70,000

Realtime Bus Arrival Info near Subway Stops

• Install 8 countdown clocks at bus stops near subway exits, to enable informed decisions on transportation choices.
• Near F, G, R stops
• $200,000