Add The New York Post on Google There’s some bad chi in the trees.
A citywide plan to increase the Big Apple’s foliage is planting seeds of anger in Bensonhurst, where residents complain that the location of the saplings will ruin the Brooklyn nabe’s “perfect” Feng Shui.
At least seven new tree beds will be erected directly ahead of front doors — blocking good energy from entering the home and even welcoming sinister spirits into the community, the concerned neighbors said.
“For the Chinese residents who live here, this is not simply about the appearance of a tree. This is the entrance of our home. The place we and our families must pass through every single day. It can affect our sense of comfort and peace when entering and leaving our own home,” Tina Tam, 65, told The Post outside her 32nd Street home.
“We are nervous … This is our superstition.”
A slew of sidewalk trees will be planted in Bensonhurst as part of the city’s Urban Forest Plan to dramatically expand canopy coverage across the five boroughs in the next few years.
Mayor Mamdani announced Wednesday that 18,261 trees have been planted so far in fiscal year 2026 –the most since 2016 — to reduce heat and increase green space.
The Bensonhurst plots were picked based on several factors, including pedestrian accessibility, underground utilities and traffic infrastructure, the city said.
But at least seven “a new tree will be planted in this location” stickers slapped on the sidewalk earlier this month simply served as a bad omen for Tam and her Bensonhurst neighbors, many of whom are dedicated subscribers to the ancient Chinese tradition.
Feng Shui is the practice of arranging one’s home to welcome and maximize good energy and harmony.
“When we bought the house, we observed there’s no tree, so we picked right away. It was perfect,” said neighbor Wendy Chen, 38, through a translator.
When asked what they would do if the city plants the tree in the planned plot, Chen and Tam both exclaimed: “Move!”
“If something affects me, my fortune — of course!” said Tam.
Any object in front of a front entrance disrupts the Ming Tang, or the welcoming space where energy flows, warned Feng Shui master RD Chin.
“As a resident, what do you see in front you? Your life is blocked. There’s that symbolism that something is blocking your way … If that’s in front of my front door, I would probably make a stink about it,” said Chin.
Ironically, trees are very conducive to positive “chi,” or the energy in one’s life — but only if they are planted in the appropriate location, Chin said.
“Planting the trees will enhance the chi energy of the neighborhood, because you’re creating mother nature to be part of our human existence. And that’s good. This is part of being in the natural environment,” he continued.
The trees could also bring in bad luck by absorbing the bad energy and anxiety that is already in the neighborhood because of the issue.
“Residents could get a lot of bad luck, they could get an illness, they get into a car accident. The money God cannot come to the home. Things like that,” explained Robert Luo, a Bensonhurst Feng Shui expert helping the neighbors fight the plantings.
Residents have enlisted the help of City Councilmember Susan Zhuang in asking the Parks Department to reconsider the location of the trees.
In some cases, it comes down to a matter of inches, they pleaded.
“Let me be clear: Bensonhurst loves trees and wants shade on hot summer days, cleaner air, and greener blocks for our kids and seniors, but with respect to Chinese Culture,” said Zhuang.
“I’m confident we can work together to plant every tree this neighborhood deserves while honoring the community that lives here.”
A spokesperson for Parks said it was in communication with Zhuang to accommodate the concerns without sacrificing the project.
“We are always ready to work with community leaders and members to accommodate concerns when planting, while ensuring we fulfill our mandate to expand the City’s urban tree canopy as required by Local Law 148 of 2023,” the department said.
