Koch Represented The 'Scrappy New Yorker'

As news spread Friday morning of the loss of one of New York's most legendary leaders, Ed Koch—who passed away at age 88 from congestive heart failure—the reactions of members of the Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill community were fond and heartfelt.

"He was a true representative of the scrappy New Yorker," said Maria Pagano, a Carroll Gardens resident and President of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association. 

One of Koch's more spirited campaigns during his tenure included a series of street signs, whose tone was decidedly candid. First appearing in New York in 1982, examples of them still dot the streets of South Brooklyn—including one [pictured] on Pacific Street between Court and Smith Streets.

"Who can forget his street signs?" said Pagano. "'Don't even THINK about parking here' will always be a favorite!"

That sentiment was echoed by Boerum Hill resident Troy Farmer, who alluded to Koch's impact on the current state of the city.

"Whether you agreed with the man or not, he led our city through a famously turbulent time and fought for what he believed was right, like a true New Yorker," commented Farmer, the Founder and Creative Director of raven + crow studio in Boerum Hill.

Some local business owners, like Anthony Fauci of Runnin' Wild Kids Shoes, felt Koch's legacy extended even beyond the Big Apple.

"The city has lost a great advocate. He was more than the mayor of NYC, more like the mayor of the world," Fauci said.

Other residents responded to the news with colorful one-liners that Koch may have appreciated, himself. "RIP, ED! One of a kind indeed," said one young woman running to the Carroll Street station.

"I have been thinking about how much he reflected that definitive 'NY brass' style," Pagano added. "A style we all recognized and loved. He was a genuine New York icon. I will always look back fondly on his reign."