“We’re seeing in most places people are abiding by the guidelines. In other places we have more who are not,” de Blasio said.

De Blasio said the worst is yet to come as COVID-19 cases continue to multiply and the city lacks the ventilators hospitals need.

“New York City has one third the cases in the entire nation. We are the epicenter,” he said. The only way to slow the spread is by social distancing, including in parks, he added.

“We’re working with New York state and the City Council to maximize education and enforcement of people enjoying parks and playgrounds. … I’m giving the process till Saturday evening. If by the end of Saturday it’s sufficiently clear that New Yorkers are not following the rules, I’m prepared to shut down the playgrounds,” he said.

By order of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a “limited number of streets will be opened up, two per borough, as a pilot program” to reduce park congestion. The initial number is limited because there needs to be adequate law enforcement, the mayor said. The streets will be chosen by Thursday.

Gov. Cuomo said on Sunday he had been shocked to see the number of people crowding into parks and outdoor farmers markets during a visit to the city. He singled out Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which had been packed on Saturday around the farmers market.

Cadman Plaza Park in Downtown Brooklyn was almost empty on Tuesday, with just a couple of family groups kicking balls around. Gone were the soccer teams that usually dominate the artificial turf on warm days.

On good behavior at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Tuesday’s sunny weather brought families and joggers out to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Most people there seemed conscious of the need to stay at least six feet from others.

“We are very aware not to get too close,” said one Brooklyn Heights mom who brought her two young children to the park to play. (She did not wish to give her name.) “We stay inside most of the time. We just came out about ten minutes ago,” she added. The family lives in One Brooklyn Bridge Park, so the park is like their backyard, she said.

Another park-goer rode her e-bike all the way from East New York. She wore a cheetah face mask and a helmet with a Garmin action video camera mounted on top.

“This is my first video that I’m filming … for people who are interested in seeing what things are like right now,” she said.

“People are out and about, wearing their masks,” she observed. Workers were also “seizing the moment all over the place — planting stuff in the park, finishing up construction.”

Most of the park-goers she saw seem to be abiding by social distancing rules, she said. “Yeah, I see it. I give people their space anyway, because I see people are intimidated by bikes, especially e-bikes.”

On Instagram she’s known as The Sweetest Cheetah (thesweetestcheetah), she said. “As a joke, the bike shop guys were like, ‘You’re cheating, you’re riding an e-bike.’”

A different reality

Brooklyn Bridge Park President Eric Landau told the Brooklyn Eagle that the park was still open, but park users faced a different reality, one of “passive use and solitary recreation.” He urged parents to enforce social distancing and noted that playground equipment is not sanitized.“We will assess how it goes this week,” he said.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is not operated by the New York City Parks Department, but rather by a Public Benefit Corporation under city control. It follows the same social distancing guidelines as city parks, however.

All permits for team play have been suspended, and areas where social distancing is not practical have been closed. The volleyball courts on Pier 6 and the basketball courts on Pier 2 have been closed since Friday, and signs explaining the new rules have been posted, Landau said. The Environmental Center is also closed, as are most of the bathrooms, for various reasons. (The bathrooms near Pier 5 and Pier 6 are still open.)

The park shut down the Picnic Peninsula and its barbecue pits on Monday. The roller rink, climbing wall, Jane’s Carousel, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Empire Stores and 1 Hotel are all closed.

“The Park Enforcement Patrol is making the rounds,” Landau said. About three quarters of the staff are working from home, but core essential operations like cleaning and trash are still going on.

As of Tuesday evening, 15,597 people in New York City had tested positive for coronavirus. Of these, 4,407 were in Brooklyn. Queens had slightly more, with 4,467. Manhattan registered fewer cases at 3,013, and the Bronx had 2,505. Staten Island had 999 cases. Across the city, 192 people had died from the disease.

Mayor de Blasio noted that those fatalities included the stupendously talented 2019 Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, known as “the bard of American theater.” De Blasio called him, “The greatest playwright in recent memory.”

For all updates on park service changes and closures go to, visit here.

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