Biennial Report 2004-2005

Letter from the Mayor, First Deputy Mayor and the Parks & Recreation Commissioner

Dear Friends:


This is a golden age for New York City’s parks. From the North Bronx to Lower Manhattan to the south shore of Staten Island, we are investing in new parks, restoring historic parks, and improving parks of every kind. This includes building new recreation centers, new soccer and baseball fields, and new nature trails — as well as revitalizing one of our City’s greatest assets: our waterfront. New Yorkers and our visitors now have more opportunities to enjoy spectacular open spaces throughout the five boroughs. In fact, over the last five years, we have added more than 300 acres of new parkland.

As we have worked to expand and improve our parks, we have also created more ways for New Yorkers of all ages to explore their diverse – and ever changing – recreational interests. For instance, we have built the City’s first official cricket pitch and surfing beach, as well as skate parks in every borough. We are also proud of the new programs and activities that have been created for children and adults, the renewed stewardship and care for our parks and street trees, and the expanded outreach to our City’s volunteer groups.

Creating a world-class park system is essential in building a city of opportunity where people want to live, work, and raise families. With the help of New Yorkers and our many partners, the future of the City’s parks is brighter, and greener, than ever. As you read through the Biennial Report for 2004-2005, we hope that you will join us in creating a majestic system of parks for the 21st century.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Bloomberg Mayor	Patricia E. Harris First Deputy Mayor	Adrian Benepe Commissioner