BROOKLYN Bensonhurst East, Homecrest, Gravesend, CITY Bensonhurst West, Bath Beach, West Brighton, COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 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. SHOWCASE : 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 fields 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 DOLLARS $300 OF $200 MILLIONS $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* FISCAL YEAR *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 fields 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 five 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 five 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 five boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 21% 24% (PEP) Officers & 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 ACREAGE OF CITY PARKS 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 POPULATION 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 LANGUAGE ACCESS 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 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 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 PARK RESOURCES 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 PARKS INSPECTION PROGRAM RATINGS 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 cent parks BCH 38 ST W 32 ST r VIEW AV 20 “acceptable” HIGHLAND 17 21 Pe 15 0 CD 47 Citywide ATLANTIC OCEAN OPEN SPACE 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 HEALTH Number of hospital admissions per 10,000 residents: CD 47 Citywide It is more than obvious that 1 Bensonhurst Park 14 Leon S.