q u e e n s c i t y Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village, c o u n c i l 2009 d i s t r i c t 30 Glendale, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill

Parks are an essential city service. They are the barometers of our city. From Flatbush to Flushing and Morrisania to Midtown, parks are the front and backyards of all New Yorkers. Well-maintained and designed parks offer recreation and solace, improve property values, reduce crime, and contribute to healthy communities.

s h o w c a s e : Until 2006 the City did not spe- cifcally track crimes occurring on city parkland, and therefore no data was available to tell citizens about the safety of their parks. New Yorkers for Parks worked with the City Council and Mayor to pass legislation mandating the tracking of crime in the 20 larg- est parks, with the eventual goal of including every park. Forest Park is one of the initial 20 parks, and in our 2008 report, “Tracking Crime in NYC Parks,” we offer details on crime data collected in , Glendale the park. Visit www.ny4p.org for The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, more information on park safety. PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways structure needs of City, are expanding waterfront access including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use update infrastructure for a growing brings fresh vibrancy to the city. population while addressing envi- ronmental concerns. Through ambi- ’s population is tious goals to increase access to parks projected to increase by one million and open spaces, New York’s fiscally new residents by 2030, and demand prudent administration affirms that for our 29,000 acres of parkland investing in parks is good business. will only grow. It is imperative that creative efforts to expand our open Park innovations have flourished in spaces continue—but perhaps more recent years. The creation of Hudson importantly, existing parks must be River Park and the revitalization of protected, maintained and adequate- allow access to areas ly funded to best serve current and that were previously off-limits due to future New Yorkers. City Council District Profiles City Council District Profiles Citywide

Citywide Parks by the A New Master Plan for Parks Numbers Significant steps have been made toward PlaNYC’s parks and open space targets, which include ensuring 29,000 that every New Yorker lives within a 10-minute walk Acres of parkland of a park and planting 1 million trees. Important 1,700 projects like the development of regional parks and Parks the “schoolyards-to-playgrounds” initiative, which opens schoolyards after hours to the public, increase 1,000 recreation space, thus resulting in an even greater Playgrounds need for maintenance funds.

2,300 PlaNYC shows the City’s commitment to Greenstreets improving open space and recreation opportunities. 12,000 Now, we must take the next step and create a master Acres of natural areas plan for New York City’s parks, which does not exist today. A master plan would respond to particular 600,000 neighborhood and regional needs and outline how Park trees best to expand the park system to serve current 2 million and future residents. Street trees Any expansion to the parks system requires 14 maintenance funding. Most city parks rely on Miles of beaches public funding, but this is not a predictable source as evidenced by the current economic recession. 800 While spending on park maintenance increased by Athletic felds 50 percent under Mayor Bloomberg between 2003 50 and 2008, a gloomy economic forecast can be expect- Recreation centers ed to result in cuts to the Parks budget in 2009 and beyond. Public-private partnerships will be affected 66 by the recession as well. Innovative funding streams Pools —as well as improved management strategies— can help ensure that the parks system will 6 weather these storms. Top: Breininger Playground, Ice rinks Above: , 22 Historic house museums Historical City Funding for the Parks Department (Adjusted) 1,000 $500 Monuments, sculptures and $400 historical markers d o l l a r s $300 o f

$200 m i l l i o n s $100 in

$0 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10*

f i s c a l y e a r *2010 = Projected budget By the Borough: Queens

QUEENS Beaches and Lifeguards Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Queens vs. Citywide (% rated acceptable) Numbers Queens offers a diverse array of parks and open Queens Citywide spaces. From small urban playgrounds to the seven 100% 2,090 mile long Rockaway Beach, Queens residents can Acres of natural areas enjoy a variety of open space opportunities. Rockaway 90% Beach on the Atlantic Ocean provides recreation and 260 a reprieve from the summer heat for residents across Playgrounds 80% New York City. As described in The Report Card on Beaches, New Yorkers for Parks’ independent evalu- 180 70% Comfort stations ation of City beaches, maintenance poses a unique 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 challenge to the Parks Department due to heavy usage The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 776 during the summer months. Unlike parks, beach through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains operations require strict safety precautions such as lifeguards. Although the Rockaway Beach community 244 has struggled with the continuing lifeguard short- Athletic felds age that leads to closed areas of the beach, the Parks 316 Department recruited a record number of lifeguards courts in 2008, nearly hitting their target. 805 Four non-profit partner groups fundraise for Greenstreets Queens parks, in addition to 10 groups that raise money to support parks citywide. 10 Pools

Queens Park Staffing 20 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 236 City Parks Workers At left: Austin Playground, Jamaica & Associate Park Above: , Astoria Service Workers 61 Queens has the 2nd lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the fve boroughs. Park Supervisors Queens Citywide Park acreage 7,321 29,000 19 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 11% 14% Specialists Queens has the 3rd highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the fve boroughs. 5 Total population 2.2 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 305 276 28 Queens has the 2nd lowest tree canopy coverage of the fve boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 20% 24% (PEP) Offcers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 49 41 Joseph ,0 Ridgewood 0.5 1Miles Queens City Council DistrictÜ 30

87 T S 4 4

GAL 9 T IS 1 ENP AV ST 4 15 61 GRE ALBION 96 ST

E 59 S AV CORN 90 ST 64 AV 55 AV 20 39 PL JUSTICE 92 ST GALE 25 21 AV AV Lefrak City AV KNEELAND

TYLER 66 ST BQE GARFIELD AY UREL HILL BL 51 AV LA AV GRAVETT RD

58 PL 72 ST District Statistics AV Elmhurst 1 55 RD Mt Hebron Cemetery Calvary 53 AV 69 PL CE HARDING EXPRESSW MEADOW LAKE 52 AV 97 ST a c r e a g e o f c i t y p a r k s Cemetery HORA 68 AV 74 ST 99 ST AV 53 HASPEL ST57 RD 64 Total district acreage 5,044 AV 79 ST QN MIDT Mt Zion Cemetery RE 53 AV 82 ST 63 RD VIEW AV O AV 66 ST Total parkland acreage 733 WN EP SR S 84 ST 156 ST 54 AV AV AV 66 AV 62 URICE 53 DR 63 SA Parks & playgrounds acreage 698 MA AUSTIN ST UNDERS ST Percent City parkland * 71 ST AV * 66 of total districtAV acreage AGUILAR Percent parkland 15% N 67 DR SCO AV Y OW T 2 JA T AV 61 RD ID 58 Rego Park TT S M 60 RD Citywide 14% EN AV 26 BORDEN E AV AV U 81 ST AV 24 WELL 55 DR Q CALD C ARL 67 83 ST T 72 RD 62 DR ON ST 112 ST 12 AV p o p u l a t i o n 61 ST 58 78 ST MASPETH CREEK 3 73 TE Ranking of City parkland DIETERLE CR AV THORNT Forest Hills 70 WILLOW LAKE MASPETH AV acres/resident V 71 ST 58 PL 63 A Population 149,625 ARICK AV AV T AV W USTIN ST 60 OODHA (1 highest, 51 lowest) ELIO = = ON PL AV 64 ST JUNIPER BL N 58 DA 113 ST AV AV Population under 18 32,922 68 ST AV RTMOUTH ST 64 RD VEN BL 65 DR R UST ST Maspeth PENELOPE AV Percent under 18 22% 72 69 PL 5 59 AV AV AV 62 75 PL 4 LUTHERAN 61 RD AL 9 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 5 73 RD ONE BL FRESH POND RD AV 76 RD Ranking of City parks & AV 67 RD FURMANVILLE HARR WST 29 AV playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 21 60 St John's OW GRND CNTRL PY S AV ST CONTINENT

71 ST GRAND ST AV Middle Village ST 78 YELLO 62 ST Cemetery * AV NURGE JUNIPER VALLEY RD 66 RD AV 77 GARDNER

69 79 PL 79 KEW GARDENS RD 66 DR SELFRIDGE ST LOUBET ST l a n g u a g e a c c e s s CD 30 Citywide ANDREWS METROPOLIT Briarwood RENT AN 30 AV AV Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish 60 ST AV

AR PLAZA COOPER AV MANT 82 Percent of homes speaking this language 14% 18% V AV AV PERSHING CR ARICK OD ST MENAHAN ST TRAFFIC ON ST 74

6 83 ST GRAND V HIMR AV Lutheran Cemetery AN 84 RD V AV AV RANDOLPH ST AV 10 FLUSHING VIEW 64 ST 69 ALENTINE PL W AV AV WYCK EP EN SB STEW OOD 74 AV DORAN AUDLEY ST Kew Gardens c i v i c e n g a g e m e n t CD 30 Citywide AV 60 PL COOK W ARD AR AV 126 ST T DE KALB Registered voters 78% 76% AV AV 8 9 77 AV MARGARET PL 34 ST NICHOLAS 67 AV AV 86 ST Number general parks-related 68 ST AV HARMAN ST Ridgewood 79 PL 79 PUTNAM 76 ST CYPRESS 62 ST AV RD 12 CURZON RD 311 calls per 1,000 residents 22 10 72 ST 78 RD WILLOUGHBY AV O ST 11 7 TO AV AV OT 69 ST AV CYPRESS HILLS ST CENTRAL 124 ST SHALER 82 117 ST AV Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance ALMETT 85 P Glendale BABB KNICKERBOCKER AGE ST per 1,000 residents 1 1 AV JEFFERSON ST V 68 ST 113 ST AN

AV 65 PL WYCK EP EN 120 ST 74 AV 16 117 ST SENEC IR WYCK LUTHER RD AV VING 62 ST p a r k r e s o u r c e s CD 30 Citywide WILLOUGHBY GREENE A AV AV OFF AV 85 AV AV 75 AV 86 Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. 89 AV NB Cypress Hills Cemetery * 104 ST AV District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $3.4 million $4.2 million STEPHEN ST 13 85 AV 27 Bushwick 30 113 ST Richmond Hill AV DE KALB 91 AV ON ST 78 HARMAN ST 80 RD FOREST PY p a r k s i n s p e c t i o n p r o g r a m r a t i n g s WT 85 RD AV LA AV 91 59 ST 86 DR 88 AV 15 85 ST 94 Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. 94 ST 116 ST 120 ST AV OODBINE ST FY 2004 FY 2008 VER PL W MALCOLM X BL AV 108 ST OBINSON PY * 100 91 VE ST CLO GREENE O JACKIE R CYPRESS HILLS ST GR HANCOCK ST 88 ST 80AV Q Cemetery 37 91 115 ST

STUYVESANT 88% 107 ST 86% 88 AV 92 ST 83% PA AV CORNELIA ST of the Evergreens 80% TCHEN 60 ATLANTIC97 ST 28

104 ST

RALPH 40

AV BUSHWICK rated COOPER ST AV 110 ST 14 Cypress Hills Woodhaven cent parks 124 ST

AV CRESCENT ST ETNA ST 87 ST 20 “acceptable” AV FORCE PILLING ST r Pe 32 82 ST 122 ST 36 Ozone Park 123 ST TUBE 0 105 PL SHEPHERD Y ST 41 AV 97 ST CD 30 Citywide AV 107 AV BAINBRIDGE ST WTREE CREEK RD TUR ST 121 ST A AV DEC OSBY LINCOLN HA RALPH CR AV AV o p e n s p a c e HENDRI CD 30 Citywide ST

B AY MC KINLEY 125 ST 127 S UNCEY ST ARBE CHA * AV

77 AV Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres <1 4 1 T 1 26 X S CREEK RD N PY EX CONW Y ST 0 From Queens Community BoardER ON 5: Vacant lot acreage 29 8,512 LEGEND nn DPR community gardens Parks, playgrounds Percent vacant 1% 4% 1/2 Mile nn Other community gardens and beaches Council District Border nn DPR beaches h e a l t h Number of hospital admissions per 10,000 residents: CD 30 Citywide Frontera Park, Glendale Playground and other 1 Mews 9 Joseph F. Mafera Park nn New York City Department of nn State and federal parkland Parks and Recreation (DPR) Asthma 16 31 2 Maurice Park 10 Middle Village Playground nn City-owned vacant land ‘‘parks and playgrounds in District 5 Queens parks, playgrounds and Diabetes 6 11 3 Frontera Park 11 Glendale Playground Q DPR schoolyards-to- greenstreets lack bathroom facilities. Bathroom facilities, 4 Reiff Playground 12 JHS 119/Pinocchio Playground playgrounds sites nn DPR natural areas e d u c a t i o n CD 30 Citywide 5 13 Evergreen Park more formally known as comfort stations, are (Schoolyards-to-playgrounds is a citywide PlaNYC initiative Percent fourth graders meeting standards in math 84% 81% 6 Grover Cleveland Park 14 Highland Park important, especially for Parks Department to open schoolyards to the public during afterschool hours.) Percent fourth graders meeting standards in reading 68% 63% 7 Rosemary’s Playground 15 Jackie Robinson Parkway facilities that have significant use. 8 Benniger Playground 16 Forest Park ’’ Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008

Tools for Action Let your elected officials know how important parks are to you. City Council Member: Elizabeth Crowley [email protected] (718) 533-8773 (718) 366-1834 (718) 263-9250 (718) 286-2686 City of New York 311 or www.nyc.gov State and Federal Representatives www.elections.state.ny.us New Yorkers for Parks www.ny4p.org Highland Park, Glendale Grover Cleveland Park, Ridgewood Juniper Valley Park, Middle Village

b o a r d c h a i r p h o t o g r a p h y Supporters About New Yorkers d a t a s o u r c e s Catherine Morrison Golden David Silverstein, Manager Altman Foundation for Parks All data is from 2008 unless noted. “Citywide”: Parks by the Numbers - NYC Department of Arthur Ross Foundation Parks and Recreation (DPR); Budget chart - Adopted Budgets, NYC Office of Management and e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r District 30 Photographer: New Yorkers for Parks is the only Greenacre Foundation Budget (OMB), FY 1989-2009, Preliminary Budget, OMB, FY 2010. “By the borough”: PIP Ratings, Christian DiPalermo Bill DesJardins independent watchdog for all the By the numbers & Staffing - DPR; Trees -“Trees Count!” Street Tree Census report, 2005-2006, DPR; Henry and Lucy Moses Fund city’s parks, beaches and playgrounds. This page: Population - Census2000; Language access - Infoshare.org; Civic engagement - NYC Board Ben Carlson d i s t r i c t p r o f i l e s s ta f f John N. Blackman, Sr. Foundation The city’s oldest and leading inde- of Elections and NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT), Tim Francis Cheryl Huber, Director Abby R. Mauzé Trust pendent expert on park conditions, FY 2008; Park resources and PIP ratings - DPR: Community Gardens - Council on the Environment of Christine Kaelin NYC; Vacant land - MapPLUTO copyrighted by the New York City Department of Planning, BYTES Alyson Beha The Armand G. Erpf Fund efficiency and funding, New Yorkers Susan McCartney of the BIG APPLE; Health - NYS Department of Health, 2006 via Infoshare.org; Education - NYC and Andrea Marpillero-Colomina The Dana Foundation for Parks has worked for 100 years Laura Napier NYS Departments of Education, 2007-2008, analysis by the Annenberg Foundation. The Rhodebeck Charitable Trust to ensure greener, safer, cleaner g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r Mark Sanders Norman and Rosita Winston parks for all New Yorkers. m a p d a t a Michael Bierman David Silverstein Foundation NYC Parks properties - DPR; State parks - NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; National parks - , 2006; Council District boundaries - BYTES of the Big Apple, DCP, 2005; Schoolyards-to-Playgrounds - DPR. The Future of New York City Parks

With the promise of Fresh Kills Park parks, the money is directed to the City’s in and the completion of General Fund. New Yorkers for Parks has regional parks citywide, New York City’s long advocated for City Hall to allow the park system will expand over the coming Parks Department to retain a portion of decades in a manner not seen since the this revenue to offset maintenance costs 1930s. With sound planning and sufficient throughout the system, as is done in other funding, our park system will flourish. cities such as Chicago.

Although the City has an obligation to Property Taxes: Business Improvement fund parks, we have seen that in times of Districts have a long history of funding fiscal crisis, parks suffer. We must ensure park maintenance through tax revenues, that all parks—particularly those that with Bryant Park as the lead example. cannot rely on private funding—receive Friends of is pursuing adequate public support. this structure. Such arrangements place some of the costs of park maintenance While “friends of” groups and the robust on businesses or residents whose property volunteer program administered through values benefit from a well-maintained park. Partnerships for Parks have a positive im- pact on park maintenance, more dollars are Public-Private Partnerships: More than needed. Park advocates have long debated 30 park-specific non-profits around the how to ensure funding streams outside of city fundraise for specific parks—such as the city budget to maintain our parks in all Conservancy and the Riverside fiscal climates. The funding mechanisms Park Fund. Groups typically raise money below have been successful in New York for capital projects or ongoing park main- City and elsewhere. Now is the time to tenance; however, this strategy has worked carefully examine these strategies to plan only in high-income areas. for the future. Zoning Bonuses: Developer incentives Concessions: More than $50 million is to improve open space can produce earned annually from concessions such as successful results. In West Chelsea, the food stands and ice skating rinks operated City passed a special zoning amendment on City parkland. Some public-private that allowed developers to build higher in partnerships are allowed to keep a portion exchange for contributing to an ongoing of concession revenues earned in particular maintenance fund to benefit the new parks through unique agreements with public Park. This structure the City. But in the vast majority of should be explored citywide.

New Yorkers for Parks The Arthur Ross Center for Parks and Open Spaces 355 Lexington Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212-838-9410 / Fax: 212-371-6048 Top: Madison Square Park, Manhattan Middle: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens www.ny4p.org Above: Vidalia Park, Bronx