Saturday, May 30, 2015

Tompkins Square Park basketball courts closed for renovations; YouTube-backed hoops on the way



Workers yesterday began ripping up the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park…





The city made the announcement about the court renovations on May 4 with the help of YouTube stars Dude Perfect, who were on-hand to do some trick shots and give out prizes, etc.

@dudeperfect takeover of #TompkinsSquarePark is happening now!!! #DudePerfectCourt

A photo posted by Chris Plehal (@plehal) on



Apparently the New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations, which include an entire resurfacing of the courts with new cement and paint, and installing new basketball hoops. Parks officials said that work will be completed by the time the city schools let out for the summer on June 26. YouTube is funding the renovations, which are estimated at $300,000.

The courts are locked up for now… and apparently the gym equipment is off limits for the next month too… (Updated: EVG regular Jose Garcia says in the comments that people were using the gym equipment this afternoon.)



There aren't any signs posted about the closure … either at the courts or Park office.

Here's NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver via a news release: "Tompkins Square Park is one of New York’s best-loved green spaces, and the basketball have played host to generation of players. NYC Parks is grateful to Dude Perfect and YouTube for their generous effort to give the East Village a refurbished place to shoot hoops this summer."

Your new YouTube courts will look like this, via a rendering from YouTube…



H/T TubeFilter

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cut to the park being closed for members only events and or games. Keep corporations out of our lives.

Anonymous said...

I'm having flashbacks to Foursquare or Airbnb renting out a public park and kicking out the kids.

Jose Garcia said...

we were just by with Miss Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street and folks were using the gym. Not sure if they jumped the fence or not. As long as the pool opens on time we're happy. best, the jose garcias

Anonymous said...

Nice going "Google"

Anonymous said...

Dude Anoying

Anonymous said...

Why the heck can the city of new york not even keep up a basketball park? The highest city taxes, the lowest upkeep of any city in the US.

Anonymous said...

Well if corporations are going to be "tagging" their brand all over everything I'll be sure to do the same with my brand.

Anonymous said...

Welcome Citi Park! Millennials will love it because they think brands are their friends!

Anonymous said...

Will the logo be at center court or randomly embedded everywhere? I KNOW....Interactive Holograms!!!

Blow Me Bro said...

I hope there will be a hologram of Chris Crocker screaming "leave Brittney alone!!!!"

Anonymous said...

A smooth court to play on with nothing to trip on and new backboards with straight baskets is worth a temporary closure.

If you are against someone giving us something nicer than what we had, then you obviously don't use the courts and should complain to your cat or dog and not bother others with your nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Will the gym equipment remain? The kids call it muscleman playground

Anonymous said...

As long as this isn't a stealth move to tear down the hand ball courts and gym equipment. Some [s]yuppie scumbag[/s]> busybody suggested last year that "no one uses the gym equipment or hand ball courts so the area should be turned into [s]Bryant Park[/s] some sort of tables and chairs arrangement. The Gym equipment is foot for foot the most used facility in the park ... including the public adult restrooms because ... well just go in the mens'.

Also curious if Youtube intends to pay for ongoing maintenance. The hoops have been fixed before - if memory serves local girl made good Ru Paul put up some money in the past - and they take a beating (I'm guessing no but maybe)

Eden Bee said...

First the came for the grass and no one said anything...next they came for the ball courts...

Anonymous said...

A questionnaire and survey on what most people wanted to see along the East River esplanade (according to a study conducted by the Mayor's Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which will be closing parts of the park in preparation for Mound City, our feeble response to the next Big Hurricane) were . . . cafes! 45% in fact. I wonder who they asked?

Are folks really that desperate for a latte?

Anonymous said...

As far as I'm concerned, they can remove all the courts from Tompkins Sq. Park and replace them with a garden. The skateboarders are especially annoying with their horrible, grinding, noisy moves.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:25 pm.
The whole purpose of government, i.e. the criminal entity known as the State (cekatS) is to steal from the underling-taxpayers, feed itself and commit mass murder and other criminal acts.

Bill asking why everyone isn't getting with the anti-government libertarian program

Anonymous said...

Actually cafes or places to sit,'relax and buy food and drink are sorely lacking in East River Park. Compared to the entire West Sde parks and piers from the Battery to Harlem, East River Park is a wasteland. The West Side has a number of good places to sit and eat and hang out, plus they have Battery Park City, Chelsea Piers and the Boat Basin with full service restaurants and nice clean bathrooms. You know what we've got? A hotdog stand and a guy selling frozen ices. Bathrooms that look and smell like dungeons. They have landscaped dunes planted with exotic flowers and grasses. We have weeds and crabgrass. The city spends so much more money on the West Side than the East Side it's not even funny. Give us a few cafes with hot food and cold drinks, that would b a nice start.

Anonymous said...

The City can't afford to refurbish their own park? What does YouTube / Google / Dude Asshat get out of this? Special "private" events in the space?!

Anonymous said...

> The skateboarders are especially annoying with their horrible, grinding, noisy moves.

Shockingly enough fellow anon, more people get to use the park than just you. The skateboarders don't bother me - I don't skateboard - and that area is also used by armies of baseball and field hockey teams and the occasional soccer players. There are plenty of gardens in the East Village and lots of flower areas in the park already.

What bothers me currently is the evening crack party happening just west of the men's room. I don't mind keeping some of the "old neighborhoods" flavor, hey an occasional bad punk rock band is better than a Mumford and Sons single, but crack?

And other anon: The East River park is cursed by the FDR drive. Robert Moses ruined Manhattan river access forever. Admittedly that was how people were thinking at the time. When the political will is around to degrid the FDR drive the sheer amount of luxury retail and housing opened up would make for some serious tax revenue and a much more enjoyable city. Which will never happen.

Scooby said...

To the Anti-Skate Anon....


SKATE OR DIE!!!!

Anonymous said...

Skate or die LOL. I love the fake rebel thing skaters go for. Oh, look at me, I skateboard, I'm so countercultural. And I'm not talking about the real dealers from Cali and Brooklyn Banks, I'm talking you herbs who walk around with your board more than use it.

Scooby said...

Yeah - I don't understand carrying your board either... As for "countercultural" - I skate because I like to, it's fun, good excercise and a great way to explore. I used the known reference "Skate or Die" in a good natured way - not to be a rebel. I surf too - same basic phrase applies however it is not literal. More people ought to skate - probably be less uptight and stressed,,,

Anonymous said...

Damn.
Some [s]yuppie scumbag[/s]> busybody suggested last year that "no one uses the gym equipment or hand ball courts so the area should be turned into [s]Bryant Park[/s] some sort of tables and chairs arrangement.

One, that's just rude. Two, what time is this doofus walking around? From the people who do tai chi early in the mornings, all the way to the guys working out late in the evening, that area is heavily used. And, lemme tell ya, when my kid was small and wanted to try handball with no one waiting to use the court, I had to get him up at 5:30 so we got to the court as the sun was rising.

Not to make sweeping statements, but it seems that frequently there is a big class and race divide between those who are using that area and those like this guy who wants it to be like Bryant Park. Everyone -- of every race and class -- wants a nice place to hang out; but, taking away amenities that are being used by a neighborhood to add something that seriously is not needed (get your coffee at 9th St Espresso or Cafe Pick Me Up's new location...they are right there next to the park) just to have it look like something on tv strikes me as a weird kind of classist b.s.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like another crappy "public-private partnership"; really just more looting of the public trust.

Get ready for pay-to-play basketball leagues and reduced time for normal, recreational use by folks in the neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

AMEN @olympiasepiriot!

Anonymous said...

Hi. Does anyone know what's going on with this construction? After a day or two of demolition we have had 3 weeks of NOTHING.