October 18, 2017

Save Marx Brothers Playground

In August, New Yorkers for Parks sent a sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo urging him to veto two bills that would take away a playground in park-poor East Harlem and pave the way for it to be redeveloped as a 68-story residential tower. This neighborhood is already suffering the consequences of insufficient open space: area residents are hospitalized for asthma at twice the citywide rate, and have higher than average rates of diabetes and obesity.

The Governor is expected to decide this week whether to sign these bills, which would set a dangerous precedent for the alienation of parkland city-wide. We need your help! 

What You Can Do

Call Governor Cuomo's Office Today (518) 474-8390  When prompted, press (1) to leave a message.

Talking points:

I urge Governor Cuomo to veto S.6721 and A.8419, two bills that set a dangerous precedent for the protection of parkland city-wide. Removing the protections for East Harlem's Marx Brothers Playground would dispossess a community that is already underserved by open space.  Parks are essential to the health and welfare of New Yorkers, and should be treated as such as our city grows. New York is expected to grow by more than 500,000 residents in the next twenty years; to be a healthy, thriving city we need more parkland and more housing. 

Spread the Word

Use social media, email, and good old conversation to tell your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues that this is happening. It’s not too late to have our voices heard. 

Thank you to The Municipal Art Society of New York, the Trust for Public Land, and Carnegie Hill Neighbors for helping to draw attention to this important issue.