Svante Myrick's story is one of incredible grit and perseverance. In February this year, the 24-year-old made headlines when he became the youngest-ever mayor of Ithaca, NY. In an interview with NBC News's Kate Snow, Myrick talked about growing up homeless, his father's drug addiction problem and the challenges he faced on the road to political success.
Now, Myrick is giving us another reason to cheer for him. After giving up his car, he recently converted his personal parking space into a mini park, Grist.org reported. The reserved parking space next to City Hall is one of his mayoral privileges.
He wrote about the decision on his Facebook page: "I've begun to turn the Mayor's parking space into a park space. Feel free to stop by and hang out!" He tagged the accompanied photo with "Reserved for Mayor...And Friends."
The Ithaca Journal reported that the space is now decorated with tree stumps and benches.
In an email to the Journal, Myrick said that "turning a private exclusive use into a public open use .. is only only a small statement, but it is an important statement." "I think it says something about the way we should be using our urban space. I think it says something about our commitment to the environment and energy reduction," he added.
Myrick said that he hopes that the little park will be a "personal inspiration" for people who use it, Your News Now reports. "Maybe they'll think they personally can do something that will change the environment around them," he said in an interview.