b r o o k l y n Bensonhurst East, Homecrest, Gravesend, c i t y Bensonhurst West, Bath Beach, West Brighton, c o u n c i l 2009 d i s t r i c t 47 Seagate, Coney Island

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 : Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk The Report Card on Beaches is modeled after New Yorkers for Parks’ award-winning Report Card on Parks. Through the results of independent inspections, it tells New Yorkers how well the City’s seven beaches are maintained in four key service areas: shorelines, pathways, bathrooms, and drink- ing fountains. The Report Card on Beaches is an effort to highlight these important facilities and Century Playground, Coney Island ensure that New York City’s 14 The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, miles of beaches are open, clean, and safe. Coney Island Beach is PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in one of the seven public beaches sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways owned and operated by the structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access City’s Parks Department. In 2007, including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists this beach was rated “unsatisfac- stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- tory.” Its shoreline, bathrooms and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use and drinking fountains performed update infrastructure for a growing brings fresh vibrancy to the city. poorly. Visit www.ny4p.org for population while addressing envi- more information on the Report ronmental concerns. Through ambi- New York City’s population is Card on Beaches. 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- Bryant Park 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, Queens Ice rinks Above: Central Park, Manhattan 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: Brooklyn

BROOKLYN Waterfront Reclamation Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Brooklyn vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Brooklyn’s Prospect Park was Frederick Law Brooklyn Citywide Olmsted’s self-declared masterpiece. But until 100% 973 recently, Brooklynites have been sorely lacking in Acres of natural areas recreational opportunities along the waterfront. 90% Thanks to several large waterfront projects new 291 attention has been brought to Brooklyn’s coast. Playgrounds 80% The expansive Brooklyn Bridge Park will offer unprecedented access to the water, and the 172 70% Comfort stations Bloomberg Administration’s rezoning of the 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront promises The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 852 new recreational opportunities and greenspace. through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains

Five non-profit partner groups fundraise for 246 Brooklyn parks, in addition to 10 groups that Athletic felds raise money to support parks citywide. 343 Basketball courts 480 Greenstreets 16 Pools

Brooklyn Park Staffing 20 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 208 City Parks Workers At left: Herbert Von King Park, Bedford Stuyvesant & Associate Park Above: Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino Park, New Utrecht Service Workers 66 Brooklyn has the lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the fve boroughs. Park Supervisors Brooklyn Citywide Park acreage 4,481 29,000 30 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 10% 14% Specialists Brooklyn has the 2nd highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the fve boroughs. 13 Total population 2.5 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 550 276 27 Brooklyn has the 3rd lowest tree canopy coverage of the fve boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 21% 24% (PEP) Offcers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 45 41 0 0.5 1 Miles

Leon S. Kaiser Park, Coney Island brooklyn City Council District 47

4 R 7 ST D Y E 23 ST QUENTIN RD DR BA HT E 29 S

BENSON E 27

T AV ST W 3 ST District Statistics LE E QUENTIN RD AV 43 BA Y 13 ST a c r e a g e o f c i t y p a r k s TH BA 44 AV 43 AV R ERLING DR Total district acreage 3,105 E 4 ST 82 ST QUENTIN RD Total parkland acreage 410

BENSON W 5 ST AV 18 Parks & playgrounds acreage 319 AV Percent City parkland 50 AV S 17 CT Bath Beach of total district acreage Percent parkland 13%

Y 25 ST 46 Citywide 14% BA STILL

WELL AV

23 AV 5 LAKE ST 17 E 24 ST p o p u l a t i o n E 19 Ranking of City parkland HOMECREST

W 6 ST ST E 1 ST 6 acres/resident Y 31 ST BENSON Population 160,124 BA 20 LA (1=highest, 51=lowest) AV AV

VESEND NECK RD Population under 18 35,940 GRA

E 15

AN SICKLEN ST 1 ERIKSON DR ET NB V ST Percent under 18 22%

Y 38 ST V 18 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 3 AV BA GRAVESEND NECK RD Ranking of City parks &

CR playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 kids 9 OPSEY 234 Homecrest AV AV V Gravesend OCEAN AV X E 7 ST SHEEPSHEAD l a n g u a g e a c c e s s CD 47 Citywide Y 43 ST BA AV AV WFORD AV W CRA AV X

LAKE ST YKER ST Most common foreign language spoken at home Russian Spanish

W BA AV STR HAR 10 E 1 S Y RD WA 7 T Percent of homes speaking this language 17% 18% Y GRAVESEND BAY AV Y 41 ST BA 48

HUBB c i v i c e n g a g e m e n t CD 47 Citywide

ARD ST AV E 23 ST JEROME Registered voters 78% 76%

W 2 ST Y 50 ST BA 11 VO Number general parks-related DOOLEY ST Y 48 ST BA 47 311 calls per 1,000 residents 8 10 MURDOCK CT 8 Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance 12 E 21 ST per 1,000 residents 1 1 AV BANNER AV GUIDER W 22 ST C SHEEPHEAD BAY ASS PL p a r k r e s o u r c e s CD 47 Citywide 9 BAY 54 ST WEST AV Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. CONEY ISLAND CREEK T PL BR 7 CT 13 HAR

CR W 36 ST District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $1.3 million $4.2 million AV WK F ALMOUTH ST VIEW OPSEY BR 5 BCH 51 ST OCEAN POLAR ST AMHERST ST NEPTUNE BR 11 ST AV SHELL RD AV HAMPTON

W 15 ST

CONEY ISLAND AV AV W 33 ST AV MAPLE AV AV OCEAN VIEW BEA AV DO VIEW BR 4 ST AN CANAL 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 UMONT ST TT AV 14 OCEAN VER ST CYPRESS

HIGHLAND

W 5 ST BR 14 ST W 2 PL BR 1 ST Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. MANHA 22 SEA GA

W 17 ST W 37 ST AV AV BR 15 ST W 27 ST CH

W 8 ST BR 1 LA ON BEA SEA FY 2004 FY 2008 AV AV AL BL TE BRIGHT ORIENT BCH 47 ST MERMAID CO 25 100 CORBIN PL AV W 32 ST

BR 2 ST AST W 12 ST SEA BREEZE AV WK W 29 ST BRIGHTWATER CT TE MANHATTAN W 24 ST 23 W 1 ST 80 AV Coney Island CH OCEANIC 88% W 35 ST BOARDWALK E 86% BEA ATLANTIC AV BOWERY MERMAID 75% BCH 42 ST 60 AV

W 10 ST 24 61% 20 40 16 18 19 rated

BCH 38 ST cent parks

W 32 ST VIEW AV HIGHLAND 20 “acceptable” 17 21 r Pe 15 0 CD 47 Citywide ATLANTIC OCEAN o p e n s p a c e CD 47 Citywide Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres 4 4 From Brooklyn Community Board 13: Vacant lot acreage 138 8,512 LEGEND nn DPR community gardens Parks, playgrounds Percent vacant 4% 4% 1/4 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 47 Citywide It is more than obvious that 1 Bensonhurst Park 14 Leon S. Kaiser Park nn New York City Department of nn State and federal parkland Parks and Recreation (DPR) Asthma 22 31 2 Bath Playground 15 Nautilus Playground nn City-owned vacant land ‘‘ parks, playgrounds and Diabetes 11 11 there are simply not enough 3 Lafayette Playground 16 Surf Playground Q DPR schoolyards-to- greenstreets 4 Scarangella Park 17 Poseidon Playground playgrounds sites men and women on hand to take nn DPR natural areas e d u c a t i o n CD 47 Citywide 5 McDonald Playground 18 Parking Field (Schoolyards-to-playgrounds is a citywide PlaNYC initiative Percent fourth graders meeting standards in math 77% 81% care of all of the Parks’ needs in 6 Ocean Parkway Malls 19 Abe Stark Skating Rink to open schoolyards to the public during afterschool hours.) Percent fourth graders meeting standards in reading 60% 63% CB 13… Coney Island explodes 7 Nellie Bly Park 20 Steeplechase Park 8 Dreier-Offerman 21 Coney Island Beach & with a call for added personnel. (Calvert Vaux) Park Boardwalk 9 Coney Island Boat Basin 22 Neptune Playground 10 Marlboro Playground 23 Luna Park Playground Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 11 West Playground 24 Asser Levy Park & Aquarium 12 Leif Ericson Drive 25 Century Playground ’’ 13 Coney Island Creek Park

Tools for Action Let your elected officials know how important parks are to you. City Council Member: Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. [email protected] Brooklyn Community Board 11 (718) 266-8800 Brooklyn Community Board 13 (718) 266-3001 Brooklyn Community Board 15 (718) 332-3008 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 Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk, Coney Island McDonald Playground, Gravesend Leon S. Kaiser Park, Coney Island

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 47 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 Mark Sanders 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), Bill DesJardins 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 Tim Francis 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 Christine Kaelin 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 Susan McCartney 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 Laura Napier 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 - National Park Service, 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 Staten Island 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 Hudson River Park 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 the Battery 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 High Line 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