Washington Market Park

NYC PARKS AND LES DEUX CUT THE RIBBON ON THE NEWLY RENOVATED WASHINGTON MARKET PARK BASKETBALL COURTS

Renovations through the “Creative Courts” project come with brand-new vibrant basketball court surfaces, walls, and hoops for all New Yorkers to enjoy

NYC Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner Anthony Perez joined representatives from Danish menswear brand Les Deux, New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Manhattan City Council member Christopher Marte, other local elected officials, pro coach and humanitarian Tremaine Dalton, and members of the community to cut the ribbon on the newly reconstructed Washington Market Park Basketball Courts as part of NYC Parks Creative Courts initiative.

Through Parks’ Creative Courts initiative, the department works with partner organizations to transform dated sports courts into vibrant and welcoming places with original murals that re-engage communities with their local parks. Since 2016, Parks has renovated 44 courts in 20 parks and plans to continue to add more vibrant colors to the city’s basketball and tennis courts.

“I’m so excited to celebrate the renovation of the Washington Market Park Basketball Courts, which gives this space a bright, colorful centerpiece and makes it more fun to get outdoors and get active,” said NYC Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner Anthony Perez. “By hosting athletics in our parks, we can strengthen our communities and provide a positive outlet for young people. Providing safe places to play, work out, and meet with neighbors, combined with other public safety initiatives, has helped to keep crime low at a time when it normally spikes. We want to give a special thanks to Les Deux for spearheading this renovation, making it a place for residents of Lower Manhattan as well as students from Stuyvesant H.S. and Borough of Manhattan Community College to enjoy for years to come.”

“We’re so lucky to be in a position as a business where we’re able to run these sorts of projects. The truth is, we’re only here and chasing our dream because of the people and communities that have helped us and believed in us along the way,” said Andreas Von Der Heide, Co-Founder of Les Deux. “Now, we want to help others who aren’t as lucky to find their dream. Sport changes lives, directly and indirectly. If we’re bringing a small amount of happiness to the residents of Tribeca, then we've achieved our goal. It’s not just about product, it’s also about people.”

Funded by Les Deux Legacy, the brand’s charitable/philanthropic platform, the $70,000 in renovations bring brand new basketball court surfaces, walls, and hoops to the Washington Market Park basketball courts. The site will also bring a small slice of Denmark to the heart of New York, with inspired Danish artworks on the courts.

To celebrate the opening, Les Deux organized a training session for local kids in partnership with Tremaine Dalton’s non-profit “The Process of Basketball,” which teaches groundbreaking up and coming players the art of basketball. After, the celebration continued with a 3-on-3 tournament with some of most talented basketball players in the city, with a $2,000 prize for the winners’ chosen charity.

“Basketball saved my life. If it wasn’t for the sport, I don’t know what I would be doing in my life,” said Tremaine Dalton, Founder of The Process Basketball. “I came from a tough background surrounded by crime, drugs, and violence. Playing the sport not only kept me off the streets, but it also protected me as well.”