McCarren Park

1906 - present

At the outset of the 20th century, the conditions around the Greenpoint and Williamsburg areas were notoriously in disrepair and the community was immensely underserved, with little to no access to public recreation. Amidst a largely industrial area, the city acquired four parcels of lands from different wards to create the park in 1903 and 1905, and everything in the area was slated to be condemned and demolished. Patrick McCarren, a hugely influential New York State senator, was instrumental in cutting through bureaucratic red tape and obtaining the funds for the park. In 1910, modern athletic facilities like a track, field, and tennis courts were built in addition to the playgrounds that were there several years prior. One of the most notable additions to the park was the McCarren Pool, which was built with WPA funding from the New Deal during the LaGuardia administration. Throughout McCarren Park’s history, the pool has been a great point of contention between different racial and cultural groups in the neighborhood. It was saved from the brink of demolition after a long closure that began in 1983. For a while, the vacant pool was repurposed as a concert venue, but reopened to swimmers in 2012, renovated and renewed. Today, McCarren Park is a well loved and frequented spot by the community, and home to a skate park, dog park, track and field, tennis and squash courts, a garden, fitness equipment, baseball diamonds, and a seasonably available pool.

McCarren Park, looking South towards Bayard Street
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Details

Category
Playground
Audience
All Ages
Founder(s)
Patrick McCarren
Corporate Body
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Location

  • P2CX+8XG, 776 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, USA
    ? - ?

Archival Collections

  • c. 1933 - 1960
    at New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
    Sites of Teaching & Learning 3

References

  1. Landmarks Preservation Commission July 24, 2007, Designation List 394 LP-2244
  2. “May 05, 1901, Page 17 - Brooklyn Eagle at Brooklyn Public Library.” Brooklyn Public Library archive from 1809-1999 - Brooklyn Public Library Archive. Accessed May 13, 2025. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50356000.
  3. Department of Parks for the Borough of Brooklyn. Summary of Seventeenth Annual Report. Old City (Now Borough) of Brooklyn, 1914, https://www.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/4065annual_report_brooklyn_dept_parks_1914.pdf. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
  4. The City of New York Department of Parks. Annual Report. 1911, https://www.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/4027annual_report_nyc_dept_parks_1911.pdf. Accessed 10 May. 2025.