Frequently Asked Questions

You must fill out an application. You may visit our Field and Court Permit Requests page to make an online request. You may also visit our Field and Court Request information page to find out more information about the permit request process.

Go to the Permits and Applications page.

Because so many people need our parks to play games, we do not have room for anyone to use our fields for practice. We suggest that you find space on an open field or in an unoccupied area of a park suited to active recreation.

Please visit the Tennis Permits Purchase and Renewal page to purchase a tennis permit online, or visit a Tennis Permit Office near you to renew in person. You will need to bring a check, money order, or credit card; proof of age for Senior and Junior Permits; and photo ID.

A tennis permit is good for the entire tennis season, which lasts from the first Sunday of April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. For more information, please visit the Tennis Permits and Renewal Applications page.

You need a permit to shoot film or have a still photo shoot in a park. The Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment, (212) 489-6710, grants permits for filming in the City only, not permission to use the park. To use the park, you must also get a permit from the Parks department.

Yes, if more than 20 people are expected to attend, you will need a special events permit. Please visit our Special Events Permits and Applications page for more information.

No, alcohol is prohibited in all parks.

No, overnight camping is prohibited in all parks. The Urban Park Rangers host supervised camping events throughout the summer. Please visit the Urban Park Rangers Events Calendar or subscribe to our Email Newsletters to find out when the next camping event will take place.

Parks' outdoor pools are great places for summer fun and active recreation. For everybody's health, safety, and protection, we ask our guests to observe a few basic pool rules.

Go to the Pool Rules page.

We offer a variety of activities to engage children of all ages throughout the year.

• Playground Associates
• Summer Festivals
• Swim Programs
• Sports (clinics, learn to, tournaments, youth leagues)
• Afterschool Programs
• Teen programs
• Recreation Centers
• Nature Centers
• Special Events (Winter Jam, Street Games, Pumpkin Festival and more!)

Visit our Programs page for more information or call 311.

Parks is striving to meet and also surpass the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please visit our accessibility webpage to learn more about events, programs, and facilities that serve people with disabilities.

In addition to information included on our website, we have placed accessible signage in all small parks, playgrounds, and parking lots. This makes sure that every park patron can access the park. Now, when a person with a disability comes upon an inaccessible entrance, there are signs with arrows directing him or her to an accessible entrance. All signage meets the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.

Parks may be able to provide assistance with planning and running your event. To begin, submit a special events permit application and someone will contact you after we receive your application.

The latest information about any of our City's indoor recreational facilities can be found by visiting our Recreation Centers page. There you can view information about each of our recreation centers, including directions, hours of operation, and phone numbers in case you have to call a particular recreation center, or information about how to become a member. New York City residents can also dial 311, and non-residents can call (212) NEW-YORK for more information.

No. Recreation center membership is open to anyone. To register you will need a current, valid form of state or federal identification that carries your photograph, such as an IDNYC, a Driver's License issued from any state, or a current passport. For more information about registering for center membership, please call (212) NEW-YORK.

You are welcome to use any of our recreation centers; however, we require anyone wishing to use our facilities to become a member. Memberships are processed at the centers, and the fee can be paid by credit card, check, or money order (we do not accept cash, business checks, starter checks, or checks from banks outside of New York). Please visit our Recreation Centers page to view the schedules and locations of our centers. We hope you enjoy your visit to New York City!

Membership in Parks' recreation centers remains one of the best values available to New Yorkers to address their recreational and fitness needs. In establishing these fees, we wanted to ensure that no group would bear an unreasonable financial burden.

• Children can use the recreation centers free of charge.
• Young adults, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities can become a member for only $25 a year.
• All other adult users pay the full membership fee, which is never more than $150 a year, well below the cost of private or non-profit health clubs.

There are also many ways for people to get fit for free. You may walk or jog in a park, swim for free at our outdoor pools or beaches, bike our greenways, or take a free Shape Up NYC fitness class.

If you have a $100 membership to a Recreation Center, you can use any recreation center without a pool; however you must upgrade to a $150 membership if you would like to use a Recreation Center with a pool.

These programs are run by City Parks Foundation. Log on to the City Parks Foundation website and click or hover on the "Play" tab. From there, you can find the program that most interests you, how to register, and the schedule in parks near you. If you do not have internet access or if you have other questions about these programs, you may call the CityParks Sports office at (718) 760-6982.

Parks' outdoor pools are great places for summer fun and active recreation. For everybody's health, safety, and protection, we ask our guests to observe a few basic pool rules. Visit our Outdoor Pools page to find out what you need to know before you go.

Go to the Pool Rules page.

Bathing suits must be worn on the pool deck and in the water. Men's bathing suits must have mesh linings. Hats may be worn on the deck for sun protection but are not allowed in the water. If you want, you may wear a plain white T-shirt over a bathing suit. Sneakers are not permitted. Rubber flip-flops or water shoes are permitted.

Dogs in heat are not allowed in dog runs. Un-neutered males must be closely monitored when taken into dog runs.

If you see an injured animal, the best thing to do is leave the animal where it is and locate an Urban Park Ranger in the park. Tell the ranger what kind of animal it is (e.g. bird, dog, raccoon), the size and color of the animal, and its observed condition (is it dead, acting disoriented, bleeding, or just walking around?). The more information you can provide, the better. You can also report a wildlife sighting to WildlifeNYC.

Please remember that young animals often look as if they have been abandoned, when in fact their parents are nearby. You are encouraged to leave the animal, even a cute baby, where it is, and tell a ranger. Most animals that are suspected of being sick or abandoned are fine and will be left where they are after a ranger checks it out.

Abandoned domesticated animals (dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, et cetera) should be brought to Animal Care & Control.

Animal Care & Control of New York City
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Animals, Bugs, and Pests Page
WildlifeNYC

We do not have a discretionary budget to pay for improvements to parks. The money for these projects usually comes from allocations made by local elected officials. If you would like to see an improvement made to your park, you should reach out to your local elected official.

Most projects take between 6-12 months to complete, and we want our staff and contractors to work throughout the year to make construction projects go faster. In addition, some work, such as planting and blacktop pavement sports coating, can only be done in warmer weather.

As equipment becomes worn out, we replace it. Often, we take the opportunity to update the designs to meet new safety standards, ADA requirements, and changing needs of the surrounding communities.

Safety is always a priority, and we advise people to use caution on hot days. We use these materials to allow for safe, durable places on which to play. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution for every purpose. Use common sense: Always wear shoes on these surfaces, drink plenty of water, and don't exercise or play too much on hot days.

Play It Safe

Materials that are not re-used by Parks become property of the contractor and are not for sale or donation.

Looking to get involved in a community garden? The best way to find a garden is to walk around your community and talk to gardeners. You can visit our Join a Garden page for more on how to get involved. You can also visit our Garden map to find gardens near you.

Trained inspectors from OMP perform approximately 6,000 inspections at ratable sites each year, giving each inspected site either an "Acceptable" or "Unacceptable" rating for overall condition and cleanliness. The cleanliness rating given to each site is derived from "Acceptable" or "Unacceptable" ratings given to each of four cleanliness features: litter, graffiti, glass, and weeds or ice.

 

Visit the Parks Inspection Program page for more information.