Basketball Courts, Soccer Fields and Dog Runs on Track To Reopen July 6

Basketball Courts, Soccer Fields and Dog Runs on Track To Reopen July 6
Removed basketball hoop at St. Andrew’s Playground on the corner of Atlantic Ave. and Kingston Ave. Curtis Brodner/Bklyner

It was almost exactly three months ago that Mayor Bill de Blasio instructed the Parks department to remove hoops from some 80 playgrounds in hopes to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Today he said that if all goes well, the city is on track for phase three reopening on Monday, July 6th, bringing those hoops back to the community.

“We’re on track to open up on Monday, July 6th, our basketball courts, our tennis courts, our soccer fields, our volleyball courts, our dog runs, our handball courts, and for all of you who love Italian culture, our bocce courts as well,” de Blasio announced this morning. “And that’s going to be great for all New Yorkers, adults as well, but particularly for our kids who have been waiting for these outlets. That’s going to be a great moment.”

Prospect Park Tennis Center and Prospect park playgrounds and adult recreation areas opened as part of Phase 2 on June 22nd, though the Tennis Center is open for private and semi-private lessons only.