McCarren Park
By supplementing the New York City Parks Department's basic operations with private funds, OSA proposes to initiate a large array of capital projects and community programs.
Park History
McCarren Park is a public park in New York City, USA. It is located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, and is bordered by Nassau Avenue, Bayard Street, Leonard Street and North 12th Street. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Originally named Greenpoint Park, the park was renamed McCarren Park during the first half of the 1900s after Patrick Henry McCarren (1847-1909), an Irish immigrant who worked in the Williamsburg sugar refineries and eventually became a powerful State Senator in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The park is a popular destination for recreational softball, volleyball, soccer, handball, and other games. It is also used for sunbathing and dog-walking. In late 2004, the park's track was resurfaced and has been a popular destination for running enthusiasts.
The baseball fields of McCarren Park are frequented by members of the punk and indie communities, who gather to participate in league-controlled kickball tournaments, though this is not the primary event held there.
Park Projects
As part of PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg has allocated $50 million for the restoration and renovation of McCarren Park Pool. The renovations will:
- offer swimming and diving in the summer,
- provide a year round indoor recreation center,
- enable ice-skating in the winter,
- allow off-season (spring/fall) outdoor performances,
- enable a cafe/restaurant atop the structure, and
- restore and preserve the landmarked arch and historic bathhouses.
The renovated swimming pool will accommodate approximately 1,400 people at a time, and will include lap lanes as well as shallow water recreation. The now dirt filled diving pool will be excavated and restored. Changing rooms, showers, lockers and bathroom facilities will be provided for swimmers.
The historic bathhouses will be adapted to be re-used as a year round recreation center, with a basketball half court that may be used for other activities such as yoga, etc. The complex will also provide community meeting spaces that can be flexibly combined for large events. These spaces can also be used for childrens', seniors' and other programming.
The project will also include a cafe/restaurant concession atop the bathhouse structure.
After renovations, the Pool may be used during the spring and fall for outdoor performances. During the summer of 2008, the Pool will continue to be used for music, films, theater and various community events (please see our calendar for listings). OSA is actively seeking alternative, appropriate sites for cultural programming for summer 2009+.
Look forward to splashing in the Pool with you in 2011!
Other McCarren Park Improvements
Construction will begin this summer for a skate park adjacent to the Pool, outside the bricked wall, along the Bayard St. side. This skate park is designed for beginning skaters and children, and will be a street course with low rails, ledges and steps. It is expected to be complete in 2009.
PARK AMENITIES
Water Fountain
Restroom Facilities
Historical Monuments
