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Home , Fort Tryon Park, Isham Park, Jackie Robinson Park

m a n h a t t a n c i t y Marble Hill, Inwood, Washington Heights, c o u n c i l 2009 d i s t r i c t 7 Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville

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 : Park The 2008 Spotlight on Recreation is a new project of - ers for Parks award-winning Report Card on Parks. This report examines the conditions of athletic felds, courts, and play- grounds in a random selection of neighborhood parks. Each outdoor recreation feature was inspected on three separate site visits, once each in June, July, and August to show the performance of these specifc features over Orville and Wilbur Playground, Hamilton Heights the course of the summer. The 2008 Spotlight on Recreation: A The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, Report Card on Parks Project found PlaNYC is -ever effort to studies show significant increases in that the athletic felds at Jackie sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways Robinson Park were locked and structure needs of , are expanding waterfront access inaccessible during all three visits. including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists Visit www.ny4p.org for more stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- information on the Spotlight on and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use Recreation: A Report Card on Parks Project. update infrastructure for a growing brings fresh vibrancy to the city. population while addressing envi- ronmental concerns. Through ambi- New York City’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 . 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: Manhattan

MANHATTAN Public-Private Partnerships Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Manhattan vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Manhattan’s parks are well-loved and well-used. Manhattan Citywide When New York City’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s 100% 671 resulted in a decline in park conditions, a new Acres of natural areas movement of private support through public-private 90% partnerships was born. Manhattan’s parks have ben- 209 efited significantly from groups like the Central Park Playgrounds 80% Conservancy and Madison Square Park Conservancy, which have brought innovative management and 130 70% Comfort stations additional funding to the parks. Every park along 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 from Central Park to The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 576 benefits from private support and funding. through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains

Twenty-three non-profit partner groups fundraise 160 for Manhattan parks, in addition to 10 groups that Athletic felds raise money to support parks citywide. 215 Basketball courts 317 Greenstreets 22 Pools

Manhattan Park Staffing 33 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 237 City Parks Workers At left: Bennett Park, Washington Heights & Associate Park Above: Bryant Park, Midtown Service Workers 57 Manhattan has the 3rd lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the fve boroughs. Park Supervisors Manhattan Citywide Park acreage 2,711 29,000 34 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 19% 14% Specialists Manhattan has the highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the fve boroughs. 28 Total population 1.5 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 567 276 54 Manhattan has the lowest canopy coverage of the fve boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 13% 24% (PEP) Offcers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 49 41 Riverside Park, Washington Heights manhattan City Council District 7

From Manhattan Community Board 9:

AV District Statistics 11 00.5 1Miles Spuyten Duyvil TIBBETT a c r e a g e o f c i t y p a r k s Total district acreage 1,612 SPUYTEN The need for safe, well-maintained DUYVIL Marble Hill Total parkland acreage 578 CREEK RO Parks & playgrounds acreage 516 ‘‘ parks and open spaces is a high B Percent City parkland of total district acreage Percent parkland 36% priority for this Board. It is imperative Citywide 14% 1 W 215 ST ✱ 7 14 that the members of this community Ranking of City parkland p o p u l a t i o n acres/resident Population 161,870 be provided with recreational havens 2 (1 highest, 51 lowest) AV = = AV 9 Population under 18 40,219 SEAMAN for our youngsters (26.1% of 3 W 207 ST Percent under 18 25% ✱ NYC Transit 12 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 4 our residents) and our seniors AV Ranking of City parks & YEA VERMIL playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 13 (9.9% and ever increasing). AC THA ADEMY ST

YER ST l a n g u a g e a c c e s s CD 7 Citywide

AV W 204 ST9 Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish

Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 New Jersey 4 AV Percent of homes speaking this language 35% 18% ✱ 10

✱ ’’ ✱ c i v i c e n g a g e m e n t CD 7 Citywide Parks, playgrounds Registered voters 75% 76% ✱ Number general parks-related 14 311 calls per 1,000 residents 6 10 and beaches W 187 ST 10 Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance 1 12 Convent Garden W 189 ST per 1,000 residents 2 1 ✱ 2 13 AV 5 RIVER Morris Heights 3 Dyckman House 14 Alexander Hamilton W 186 ST ✱ p a r k r e s o u r c e s CD 7 Citywide AV

AV Playground BENNETT TH W 184 ST Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. 4 ON OR 15 6 District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $7.9 million $4.2 million 5 Bennett Park ADSW✱ SHINGT W AV 6 Fort Washington Park 16 Greenway Addition WA FT 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 17 Jacob Schiff Playground DUBON 7 Roger Morris Park W 178 ST AU Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. 18 Renaissance Playground 8 orville & Wilbur Playground FY 2004 FY 2008 100 9 Recreation Area 19 Annunciation Park ✱ 20 Saint Nicholas Park 80 88% 10 Riverside Park AV 86% 86% 60 75% 11 Carmansville Playground 21 Sheltering Arms Park VEN W 171 ST HA 40 22 Morningside Playground rated Washington Heights cent parks

20 “acceptable” RP 14 r Pe 0 VR DY ✱ LEGEND nn DPR community gardens W 165 ST CD 7 Citywide ✱ 1/4 Mile nn Other community gardens HRLM R 16 o p e n s p a c e CD 7 Citywide Council District Border nn DPR beaches Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres 14 4 New York City Department of High Bridge nn nn State and federal parkland W Parks and Recreation (DPR) Vacant lot acreage 19 8,512 nn City-owned vacant land Concourse parks, playgrounds and W 159 ST Percent vacant 1% 4% Q DPR schoolyards-to- RIVERSIDE DR 7 greenstreets W 157 ST playgrounds sites Polo h e a l t h nn DPR natural areas Ground Number of hospital admissions per 10,000 residents: CD 7 Citywide (Schoolyards-to-playgrounds is a citywide PlaNYC initiative Houses 9 8 Asthma 29 31 to open schoolyards to the public during afterschool hours.) 10 W 152 ST Diabetes 11 11 11 e d u c a t i o n CD 7 Citywide 12 DR 13 Percent fourth graders meeting standards in math 72% 81% AV

COMBS PL 7 MA Percent fourth graders meeting standards in reading 49% 63% W 150 ST

15 BRADHURST AY Hamilton Heights

DW OA Concourse Village BR 14 W 141 ST 16 W 138 ST WELL BL AV 18

Manhattanville 17 AM C PO W 133 ST AD AV CONVENT Melrose AV 12 AM W 139 ST Bennett Park, Fort George 19 17 AMSTERD 20

H HUDSON PY EN SB W 137 ST 21 TE Tools for Action

AV FRED DOUGLASS BL Let your elected officials know how important parks are to you. ST NICHOLAS E 135 ST City Council Member: Robert Jackson [email protected] 6

Manhattan Community Board 9 (212) 864-6200 CLAREMONT 22 W 129 ST AV Manhattan Community Board 10 (212) 749-3105 W 120 ST Harlem 5 Manhattan Community Board 12 (212) 568-8500 W 125 ST Columbia 9 City of New York 311 or www.nyc.gov University State and Federal Representatives www.elections.state.ny.us ✱ W Mott Haven New Yorkers for Parks www.ny4p.org 8

AV E 125 ST Inwood Hill Park, Inwood X W 115 ST MT MORRIS PK

W 119 ST AV LENO AP 8 2 BR TRIBOR AV

8 MORNINGSIDE DR CT O E BR LLIS F AN WI 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 Railyard 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 7 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 Ben Carlson 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 Bill DesJardins 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 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 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