The city’s millions of residents are crammed together, competing for space to live, play, work and rest. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Parks and Recreation Department (NYC)”
In Central Park, Pedestrians, Horses and E-Bikes Battle for Space
By Gotham Rex on October 4, 2025
Critics say the park’s drives have become increasingly chaotic as e-bike riders move through at high speeds. Source: New York Times
NO2 Emissions in Can Undo Some Benefits of City Trees, Study Finds
By Gotham Rex on August 20, 2024
A chemical reaction involving emissions from cars and buildings can negate their environmental benefits. New research shows what big cities can do about it. Source: New York Times
Decades After the Central Park Jogger Attack, a City Marks Its Mistake
By Gotham Rex on December 12, 2022
An entrance to Central Park will be named the Gate of the Exonerated, for the teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of a crime that triggered a national conversation on racial injustice. Source: New York Times
MTA Will Reopen Some Subway Bathrooms For First Time In January 2023
By Gotham Rex on October 24, 2022
Of the subway system’s 472 stations, 69 have bathrooms. In January, eight of them will reopen, now that more cleaners have been hired. Source: New York Times
A Celebrated New York Park Has 526 Acres and a New Boss
By Gotham Rex on October 18, 2022
Morgan Monaco is taking over at the Prospect Park Alliance. She’ll have a short commute to work. Source: New York Times
NYC’s Tougher Lifeguard Rules May Help Fuel a Shortage
By Gotham Rex on August 27, 2022
The city requires its pool lifeguards to meet standards similar to those set for ocean lifeguards, beyond what the state sets. Source: New York Times
How a Public Tennis Court Attendant Spends His Sundays
By Gotham Rex on August 27, 2022
Walter Odom, a fixture in Fort Greene Park, makes sure players respect the hourly schedule and keep their T-shirts on. Source: New York Times
Ice Cream Trucks Are the Latest Target of Inflation
By Gotham Rex on July 26, 2022
Inflation and its rising fuel prices have pushed some ice cream truck owners to the brink. Source: New York Times
Does Public Art Have an Afterlife?
By Gotham Rex on July 11, 2022
Public artworks have the power to uplift a city. Sometimes they end up in a museum, but other times in a dumpster. Source: New York Times
N.Y.C. Pools Open Amid a Swim Lesson Shortage, Raising Safety Fears
By Gotham Rex on June 29, 2022
The city has canceled free swim lessons and private swim programs are feeling the squeeze from a lack of lifeguards. One expert said: “Some of those kids are going to drown.” Source: New York Times
What Do Luxury Rooftop Pools (for $150 a Day) Say About New York City?
By Gotham Rex on June 10, 2022
Pools were once the great social unifier of New York. The current vogue for high-priced day passes at rooftop hotel pools changes the equation. Source: New York Times
The Battle for an Open-Air Gym at Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park
By Gotham Rex on April 22, 2022
Marcus Garvey Park has been in disrepair for years. Jamel Ali turned a corner of it into an open-air gym. Source: New York Times
Her Job? Planting Thousands of Trees Every Year in New York City.
By Gotham Rex on April 22, 2022
Melinda Clancy, a procurement forester, describes why she selects maples for the Bronx and lilacs for Brooklyn. Source: New York Times
Will the Jamaica Bay Restoration Project Save New York From Rising Seas?
By Gotham Rex on April 1, 2022
A major restoration project aims to protect the Jamaica Bay area — and all of New York — by returning salt marshes and sand dunes to their natural states. But will it be too late for the people of Broad…