Parks
Posted inEconomy
FIFA predicted the New York area would take in $3 billion from the World Cup. But some official estimates say the city could lose money on the world’s biggest sporting event.
Posted inLabor
Forgery and Wage Theft: Playground Contractors Hit With Massive Fines
Two Queens-based construction firms subcontracted to rebuild the Hunts Point Playground agreed to pay more than $600,000 in restitution and penalties to 24 workers who were paid below the prevailing wage.
Posted inNature
They Speak for the Trees: Meet the ‘Petal Protectors’ Guarding NYC’s Cherry Blossoms
Touching or shaking the fragile flowering trees can harm them. These volunteers on Roosevelt Island make sure that doesn’t happen.
Posted inClimate
A Fifth of NYC Built on Bygone Water Now at Risk: Study Maps City’s ‘Blue Zones’
Researchers at the New York Botanical Garden identified more than 500 places in the city where water used to be, where it still floods and where flooding is likely to get worse due to climate change.
Posted inParks
Prefab Potty Hyped as Fast and Cheap Is Years Late, Will Cost NYC $3.5M
The city promoted a modular restroom at Fort Washington Park as a prototype for quicker construction. Years later, the project is still mired in reviews and red tape.
Posted inStreets
Getting NYC Event Permits Is a Mess. They Want City Hall to Cut the Red Tape.
Thousands of groups put on events in public space every year, but navigating the system system is “a maze,” said one East Harlem organizer.
Posted inParks
A ‘Parkie’ Photographer Looks Back on 50 Years
Malcolm “Cinema” Pinckney, who started working for the Parks Department in the 1970s, will retire next month after a career shooting everyone from Nelson Mandela to George Clinton.
Posted inParks
Mamdani Pitches New Public Toilets While 50 Park Bathrooms Sit Closed
The mayor’s $4 million modular restroom plan promises faster, cheaper installations. But dozens of existing park bathrooms remain shuttered and many more are in a disgusting state of disrepair.
Posted inParks, Weather
Snowy Park Complaints Pile Up After Blizzard
Between 1,700 and 2,000 staffers have been working 12-hour shifts to remove snow from sidewalks and paths, according to the Parks Department.
Posted inCity Life, Parks, Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani Promised a New Era for Parks and Libraries. His First Budget Falls Short.
The new mayor pledged to dedicate 1% of the city budget to parks and 0.5% to libraries. His preliminary spending plan delivers less.

