Parks Department

A tombstone reading "Global Pandemics A Touchstone for Humanity" sits in a field on Hart Island.

A Tour of NYC’s Mass Burial Site That’s Also a Public Park Now

Sept. 11, 2024, 2:13 p.m.Sept. 12, 2024, 8:02 p.m.

The Parks Department opened up limited visits to Hart Island last fall, as part of its transition into a public park as well as the city’s municipal burial ground.

The potter's field covered a large section of Hart Island.

Parks Department

NYC Is Burying More Bodies in Each Hart Island Mass Grave

Sept. 4, 2024, 5:05 a.m.Sept. 4, 2024, 4:05 p.m.

Critics say the move suggests the city has already decided to continue using the island as a burial ground, despite soliciting public input on its future.

Debbie Valentino walks quickly along the shore of Rockaway beach in a baby blue tank top, dark green shorts and grey sneakers. The sky is overcast and the ocean laps at the sand.

Summer & THE CITY

For Rockaway Locals, Summer Is Best in September

Sept. 3, 2024, 4:59 a.m.Sept. 2, 2024, 11:30 a.m.

As the beach crowds dwindle, locals say it’s prime time to lean back for one last peaceful summer month.

Parks Department intern Abigail Lenhard helps restore sculptures atop the Grand Army Plaza arch.

Summer & THE CITY

Facials for Stone Statues: On the Job With New York’s Monuments Doctors

July 17, 2024, 12:59 p.m.July 17, 2024, 1:25 p.m.

A summertime crew of restoration interns travels all over the boroughs to maintain the more than 800 public sculptures in New York City.

A Parks Department planted a new tree on the Upper East Side, Sept. 26, 2022.

Environment

A Look at Tree Growth in New York as City Pines for Cooler Streets

July 17, 2024, 5:00 a.m.July 16, 2024, 7:01 p.m.

Some of the neighborhoods with the best tree growth are ones that need them most, according to a new study.

The Baruch Baths, 326 Delancey Street is an abandoned neoclassical building with arched windows. Built in 1901 the bathhouse has been closed since 1975 and is surrounded by overgrown grass and trees. The building is about to become an ice skating rink or a community center.

Lower East Side

Abandoned for 49 Years, Baruch Bathhouse to Remain Deserted as Developer Nixes Ice Rink Plan

July 15, 2024, 4:49 a.m.July 17, 2024, 2:38 p.m.

Parks Department officials told Manhattan’s Community Board 3 that a $50 million plan to build an ice rink at the site isn’t happening, setting back a years-long push to rehabilitate the space for locals.