The Loeb Boathouse. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
On February 16, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced the new selection of Legends Hospitality for the operator of the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park for a ten-year term. The Loeb Boathouse is located on the eastern shore of the 72nd Street Lake, with a dining room that opens up onto the lake, and also includes an indoor bar, snack bar, an events room, a public courtyard, and rowboat rentals. (read more…)
Governor Andrew Cuomo welcomes the United States Naval Hospital Ship Comfort to New York City Image Credit: Darren McGee
USNS Comfort and Billie Jean King Tennis Center to be utilized as Corona outbreak strains hospital system. On March 31. 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, Queens will be converted into a temporary hospital facility. The facility will hold up to 350 patients and will treat COVID non ICU patients beginning on April 7th, 2020. The conversion of this facility is intended to relieve some of the needs and overcrowding at the Elmhurst Hospital.
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Image credit: Jeff Hopkins.
Peaceful protests, protected by the First Amendment, are fundamental to our constitutional system and to democracy. Peaceful protest marches and rallies have been instrumental in bringing about significant change in racial, gender, LGBTQ and economic equality; reproductive rights; climate policy; capital punishment; housing; criminal justice, and voting rights. Yet in recent years appropriate venues have been unavailable for large peaceful protests, raising the question of whether City practices inappropriately limit the exercise of First Amendment rights. The City needs to review its policies regarding the use of Central Park’s Great Lawn and Times Square for large First Amendment protest marches/rallies. If the City does not re-assess the appropriateness of the Great Lawn and Times Square the issue should be litigated. (read more…)
Loeb Boat House at East 73rd Street in Central Park. Image credit: CityLaw.
Unlicensed owner left pedicab in the “No Standing” area of Central Park. Shakhboz Muzafforov left his pedicab unattended in front of the Loeb Boat House at East 73rd Street in Central Park at 12:22 p.m. on May 16, 2017. A Parks officer served Muzafforov a summons for unlawfully leaving a pedicab in a prohibited location. Later that day at 2:05 p.m., a Parks officer asked Muzafforov for his license and upon review of the license learned that Muzafforov was not included on the list of valid pedicab drivers maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Parks officer issued a second summons to Muzafforov for operating a pedicab without a valid license. At the OATH hearing, both violations were upheld. (read more…)
Press Conference at the Central Park Mall. Image credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
Central Park has not been car-free for over a century, but things will change come summer. On April 20, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Central Park will become completely car-free. The announcement came right before Earth Day 2018. Starting this June, the iconic greenspace’s Center Drive, Terrace Drive, East Drive, and West Drive will be permanently closed to cars. These closings follow the closure of Prospect Park’s entire loop drive in January. CityLand previously covered Prospect Park’s closings here. (read more…)
Amur and Snow Leopards headed to New York City. Landmarks issued permits to allow the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Central Park and Prospect Park Zoos, to add new exhibits. Within the Central Park Zoo, a Snow Leopard habitat will replace an existing River Otter habitat in the zoo’s western section. The plan calls for construction of a 2,300-square-foot, wood-clad holding center adjacent to an open-air leopard enclosure and viewing pavilions also clad in a dark colored wood.
The Society modeled the Amur Leopard habitat at the Prospect Park Zoo on the Central Park Snow Leopard habitat, proposing a similar wood-clad holding building, viewing pavilions and an open-air animal enclosure. The Amur Leopard habitat will replace an existing crane aviary. The design features Volume 4 Cityland July 15, 2007 screening with grade changes and vegetation in order to blend into the surrounding landscaping.Landmarks emphasized that the proposed alterations would not eliminate any original features and would not encroach on Central or Prospect Parks. Only a small portion of each building would be visible from public areas within the zoo. (read more…)
