Five NYC Parks Are Getting a Big $150 Million Upgrade

Astoria Park pool. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images

No wonder the Parks Department is in such good spirits: Five big parks across New York City are getting some major and much-needed investment to the tune of $150 million. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the new initiative Thursday, which will provide $30 million to make upgrades to one park in an underserved area in each of the boroughs.

The parks slated to receive the funds are Besty Head Park in Brownsville, Brooklyn; St. Mary’s Park in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx; Highbridge Park in Upper Manhattan; Freshkills Park on Staten Island; and Astoria Park in Queens (which just got brand-new tennis courts).

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitch Silver said the money will be spent over four years, and will make the overhauls to things like hiking trails and sports fields with input from the community. “This is about fairness,” de Blasio said about the initiative. “We talk about fighting inequality. This is one of the most basic ways to do it.”

Five Big NYC Parks Are Getting an Upgrade