Parks’ Rules on Vending Upheld

Parks’ rules limited where vendors of expressive material could sell their wares in City parks. The Parks Department adopted “Expressive Matter Vending Rules” which restricted the sale of “materials or objects with expressive content, such as newspapers, books, or writings, or visual art such as paintings, prints, photography, or sculpture.” The new rules limited the sale of expressive materials to 100 specifically designated spots in Union Square Park, Battery Park, High Line Park, and Central … <Read More>


City Council Holds Another Hearing on the Parks Capital Process

Other agencies still missing from Council’s hearing on Park’s capital process. On November 12, 2019, the City Council’s Committee on Parks, Committee on Contracts, and Subcommittee on Capital Budget held a joint oversight hearing titled “Improving the Efficiency of Parks Department Capital Projects.” The hearing was chaired respectively by Council Members Peter Koo, Ben Kallos and Vanessa L. Gibson. This hearing was held in order to create a dialogue about the state of the capital … <Read More>


Parks Department and Elected Officials Celebrate Reopening of Parque de los Niños in the Bronx

Reconstruction project cost $4.35 million and features a new track and ballfields. On August 13, 2019, the Department of Parks and Recreation announced the reopening of Parque de los Ninos, located on the corner of Morrison Avenue and Watson Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx. Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, was joined by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York State Assembly Member Marcos A. Crespo, New York City Council Member … <Read More>


Council Speaker Johnson and City Council Launch Interactive Map of City’s Parks

The website provides information on the City’s 1,700 parks including park amenities and maintenance funding. On May 24, 2019, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council announced the launch of an interactive map of the City’s public parks. The map can be accessed on the Council’s Parks in NYC page, offering information on the City’s 1,700 parks including the location of 2,856 playgrounds, 557 basketball courts, 546 handball courts, 34 running tracks, 69 … <Read More>


Anchor Parks Initiative Reconstruction Begins at Brownsville’s Betsy Head Park

The $30 million reconstruction project brings brand new amenities to the historically underserved Brownsville park. On March 19, 2019, Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, Brooklyn Community Board 16, and local students and residents broke ground on the reconstruction of Betsy Head Park in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Betsy Head Park’s reconstruction is one of the five projects of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Anchor Parks Initiative, a $150 million … <Read More>


COMPLETE VIDEO – Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation

On October 9, 2018, New York Law School hosted New Yorkers for Parks for their Open Space Dialogues: Parks & Transportation. The event was kicked off by Joel Steinhaus, Chairman of New Yorkers for Parks, who was introduced by Executive Director Lynn Kelly. Mr. Steinhaus began by welcoming everyone to the second year of Open Space Dialogues, with the focus of this year’s dialogues on parks, open space and the public realm. He … <Read More>