A new installation by the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks, and CJ Hendry Studio features a pair of striking pink chairs by the lake in Prospect Park. Part of Hendry's "Inflatable" series, these rock-hard sculptures are already gaining viral attention for their playful subversion of expectations. The chairs will be on display through October.
New York City parks are facing significant staffing reductions and cleaning cutbacks under Mayor Eric Adams' budget cuts, with over 1,400 park employees set to be lost. This could result in parks being cleaned as little as once a week, leading to dirtier and less safe parks, deteriorating bathrooms, and delayed summer pool openings. Advocates argue that these cuts will disproportionately impact vulnerable communities who rely on parks as a place for their families. The city council has criticized the mayor's mismanagement of the migrant crisis and warned that further cuts will increase income inequality. Park advocates have long called for increased funding for green public spaces, which experienced higher usage during the pandemic. The parks department is expected to lose nearly $90 million in funding over the next two years. The council's hearing aimed to pressure the mayor to reconsider the cuts, which will affect various essential services.