Hoop dreams: A memorial for Jesse Parrilla

Photos by Gebhard 

Tuesday was Jesse Day on the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park... as friends and community members gathered to celebrate the life of Jesse Parrilla, the local hoops star who was said to be an innocent bystander in a gang feud this spring. 

Parrilla, who lived with his mother on 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, and his longtime friend Nikki Huang were reportedly kidnapped and killed in May "in a series of retaliatory shootings" involving a stolen purse. (Previously.) 

Parrilla, 22, played basketball for a season upstate at Genesee Community College.

Sad to announce the passing of former @GCCCougarsBBall player Jesse Parrilla. Jesse played for Genesee CC during the 2018-2019 season. Prayers out to his family & loved ones. 🕊🕊🕊 pic.twitter.com/aifP1S4W58

— Genesee CC Mens Basketball (@GCCCougarsBBall) May 17, 2022

In Tompkins Square Park, there were basketball games and remembrances of someone who is gone too soon...

Hoops return to the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts

Workers in Tompkins Square Park were spotted late this afternoon putting the hoops back up in the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts... one of the amenities that the city was returning for the start of Phase 3.

And as this photo by Goggla shows, some kids were ready to play. However, any kind of organized team sports and group play are off-limits, as they remain high-risk activities.

The Parks Department removed the hoops on March 26.

No more hoops for now at the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts

[Photo by Daniel]

Workers came in yesterday and removed all the rims from the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts...


[Photos by Steven]



This comes after reports of too many people playing basketball this past weekend — without anyone practicing social distancing. (One reader witnessed someone spraying a ball with Lysol.) The reader also noted the presence on Sunday afternoon of the NYPD midcourt...



EVG correspondent Steven spotted one resident, out for a bit of exercise, not minding the absence of a hoop...



"Now I never miss."

Day and night on the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts

A look this morning and last night courtesy of Vinny & O...

On the rebound: Tompkins Square Park basketball courts are back

The hoops and nets arrived this weekend… and now the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts are back in play…


[Random pic from yesterday morning]

The courts had been out of commission since May 29, with an original reopen date at the end of June. As previously cut-and-pasted, the New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. The logo in the middle of the courts is of the Parks Department. A few EVG commenters wondered if a YouTube logo might make its way on the court somewhere… well, not so far.

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

WE HAVE BACKBOARDS NOW IN TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK

WE HAVE BACKBOARDS NOW IN TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK

Progress to report at the Tompkins Square basketball courts! Last week, workers installed the backboard supports. This week, the backboards arrived. Perhaps if all goes well, we will have the hoops (and nets maybe???) next week!

The court also received another coat of black…



Workers started digging up the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts on May 29. City officials said that the courts were expected to reopen by the end of June, when NYC schools were out, per DNAinfo.

Oh, and a courts-are-closed sign finally arrived Monday, two-plus months into the project…



According to the signs, the exercise equipment is off limits through Aug. 12 as well.

As previously cut-and-pasted, the New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. YouTube is funding the operation, estimated at $300,000.

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

Hoops dreams: Checking in on the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts

Workers started digging up the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts on May 29. City officials said that the courts were expected to reopen by the end of June, when NYC schools were out, per DNAinfo.

Dave on 7th stopped by yesterday to see how things were looking…



The resurfacing appears complete. (Workers began this on July 6.)



Workers installed the backboard supports yesterday...



Now we just need backboards and some hoops. (Hopefully they aren't on back order.)

As previously reported, the New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. YouTube is funding the operation, estimated at $300,000.

The rendering shows a YouTubey (YouTubeish?) color scheme on the courts… Not sure if the final courts will have this… or if the courts will feature TVs continuously looping PewDiePie…


[Rendering via YouTube]

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

Resurfacing underway at the new YouTube-backed basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park

After several weeks of inactivity, there's progress at the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts... EVG Facebook friend Erick Hartz shared these photos from yesterday, showing workers (in YouTube T-shirts) resurfacing the courts in the Park's northeast corner...



As previously reported, workers began tearing up the courts on May 29. The New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. (YouTube is funding the operation, estimated at $300,000.)


[Rendering via YouTube]

Parks officials originally said that work would be wrapped by the time that city schools let out for the summer on June 26. Workers estimate that the resurfacing would be complete by this evening.

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

Not much progress on the all-new Tompkins Square basketball courts

[Photo from May 30]

Workers began tearing up the Tompkins Square Basketball Courts on May 29.

As we previously noted:

...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.

It doesn't appear that the city will hit that kids-outta-school deadline. The courts look essentially the same now as they did on May 29...





At this rate, the courts will be ready by time the students return to school.

The gym equipment is still accessible, though...



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

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 May 4, 2015 at 11:16am PDT

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