Summer is in full swing and things are heating up in our parks. This is our favorite season when parks really get to shine. These critical outdoor spaces are filled with lush greenery from blooming flowers and shady trees, local children are off from school and filling the air with laughter, and city recreation programs are inviting residents to get outside and connect. Less obvious “green infrastructure” is managing storm water from summer downpours and helping to cool sweltering urban environments.

This buzzing of activity percolates into all aspects of New City Parks’ (NCP) process this time of year. It starts with the community meetings that form the enthusiastic beginnings of new projects and goes all the way until the finished parks are full of activity and community camaraderie. We are hard at work! 

Read below to learn more about how our summer has been going.

Park work doesn’t end after opening day! An important part of NCP’s process is working with community partners (many of whom we meet during the community design process) to enliven the parks with programs and events that activate community involvement and build ownership of the spaces. Here’s a window into what’s been going on in our completed park projects:

In Poughkeepsie, NY, after the ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 29th, the Pulaski Pool House and Pool was immediately filled with smiles and swimming! The pool is open from noon to 7 p.m. every day, with swimming lessons in the mornings, and at no cost for Poughkeepsie residents.  

Poughkeepsie residents enjoy Pulaski Pool during the opening day ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo courtesy of the City of Poughkeepsie.

The Brain and Body Coalition hands out mental health toolkits at Pershing Ave Park

Over at nearby Pershing Avenue Park, The Brain and Body Coalition, a BIPOC mental wellness organization supporting Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, and Westchester counties, hosted the second annual Bebe Moore BIPOC Mental Health Awareness event on July 7th -- with the help of a mini grant from NCP. Themed "Wellness from Head to Toe," this free, family-friendly event aimed to celebrate and promote comprehensive wellness within communities of color. Attendees enjoyed delicious food, fun games, diverse community vendors, and even fire dancers!  

Our PS 30 green schoolyard in Jersey City, NJ is hosting S.P.A.R.K.S, Jersey City Public Schools’ Summer Program of Academic Re-engagement and Knowledge for Students, a summer camp to ward off summer learning loss in elementary students. Creating a supportive, diverse, and fun learning environment through math, STEM, reading, visual arts, performing arts, and physical education, this summer program is keeping local children active and engaged all summer.  

School children play at PS 30 ribbon cutting.

Evenings on Zoom, library basements, and downtown churches – that’s where you can find New City Parks these days as we gather community members in neighborhood spaces.

A hallmark of our model is deep listening to residents and stakeholders to learn about their concerns and desires for their parks. In these meetings, concept plans are presented and local residents are encouraged to ask questions about the park plans and offer input on what would serve the community best.

Snapshots from community meetings in Mount Vernon (left/top) and Peekskill.

Most recently we found ourselves in Mount Vernon and Peekskill, NY where NCP staff and city officials heard from residents about their hopes and dreams for their open spaces. Community members in Mount Vernon were eager to see their historic recreation parks, 4th Street and Brush Parks, once again become incubators for talented athletes. In Peekskill we heard about desired sports facilities for flagship Depew Park and how improving access and connections within the park and to adjacent forest preserve would make all the difference. 

Talking to communities is an integral part of every NCP park project. The final designs for these projects will showcase the features most important to local park users. We are energized to continue to get to know these vibrant communities!

NAME: Natalie Sweet

ROLE AT NEW CITY PARKS: Development Intern 

CURRENT SCHOOL: Wesleyan University

FIELD OF STUDY: Anthropology major, East Asian Studies and Environmental Studies minor

A LITTLE ABOUT NATALIE: Natalie is an all-around parks enjoyer from Queens, NY. As an environmental justice organizer, Natalie has worked on community engagement projects for parks and climate resiliency in NYC and Middletown, CT. Outside of NCP, they’re currently working on a capstone research project about urban ecology in Guangxi, China, and a documentary about their ultimate frisbee team. 

WHY NCP? I am passionate about NCP’s mission to expand equal access to parks, and its community-led design and stewardship process. Parks are a critical aspect of resiliency, social connection, and healthy communities, and I am inspired by the diligent work NCP does with local governments to build their visions. Being an intern at NCP has made me incredibly excited about working on public green space projects in the future.

FAVORITE PARK: Forest Park in Queens! I grew up going to the Park’s track and field programming in the summer. The hiking trails are also awesome. 

FUN FACT: I am an identical twin!

NAME: Elsa McElroy

ROLE AT NEW CITY PARKS: Communications Intern 

CURRENT SCHOOL: New York University

FIELD OF STUDY: Global Liberal Studies, minoring in Spanish 

A LITTLE ABOUT ELSA: Born and raised in Westchester, NY Elsa went on to spend a year in Madrid, Spain and a semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina through NYU. In both locations she took classes ranging from The Political Economy of Developing Countries to Latin American Conceptual Art while working at a ceramics studio which combined her academic interests in Politics and Spanish with her passion for Art. 

WHY NCP? In my own involvement with an urban garden near my home I learned firsthand how green spaces can facilitate human connection, encourage movement, and most importantly create a sense of community. I was thrilled to find NCP because every project they work on has these pillars at the forefront of their work. I was inspired by how effective NCP was in making ideas into reality and was happy to see exactly how excited communities were by the work they were doing, which I really felt at the Pulaski Pool House Opening. I’d realized what an important role parks and outdoor space have played in my life and I’m over the moon to be around people who not only feel the same way but really want to share that joy with others who haven’t been given the same access. 

FAVORITE PARK: Casa de Campo in Madrid, Spain. Not one specific memory, but lots of birthday picnics and long runs with friends! 

FUN FACT: I was in Argentina when they won the World Cup!