Chelsea Unveils a New Park For The First Time in 40 Years

Check out Chelsea Green before the summer ends.

By Laura D'Angelo August 1, 2019

After a decade of hard work, Chelsea Green is the first community park to be built in Chelsea in 40 years, giving parents a new spot for a summer afternoon with the little ones. The newly constructed quarter-acre space on West 20th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues includes a jungle gym, spray features, and a turf area.

“As the first new neighborhood park in 40 years, Chelsea Green provides vital public green space for this growing community,” said New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “With a play area, shaded seating and a rain garden, this vibrant park celebrates the energy and ingenuity of the New Yorkers who worked to make this possible.”

The new $5.8 million park was made possible by local families who advocated for the need of an outdoor play space for their kids. Funds for construction came from Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Corey Johnson, and a private donor. This resulted in the creation of a play area with play structures, a passive play turf area, plantings and trees, shaded seating, and a spot for rotating public art displays and performances.

“For decades East Chelsea has been a ‘parks desert,’ requiring residents to walk a long distance to access green space or a playground,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “Now, after years of organizing and advocacy by Chelsea residents, we finally have a new public park and playground for the community.”

Grab a towel and let your kids enjoy the park’s spray features on a hot summer day. Parents can relax while watching their little ones from the park’s shaded seating area.

“CB4 is thrilled by the opening of Chelsea Green,” said Lowell Kern, First Vice Chair of Manhattan Community Board 4, and co-chair of its Waterfront, Parks & Environment Committee. “We are happy that we were able to help the community realize their vision for this site. CB4 recognizes the power of community organizing and celebrates the opening of a park that was the highest vote-getter in Speaker Corey Johnson’s first edition of participatory budgeting.”

Chelsea Green used to be the location for a former Department of Sanitation facility, which was demolished by the Department of Design and Construction for the project.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chelsea Green to our community and are forever grateful to the NYC Parks Department and our elected officials, especially Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose leadership helped make this possible,” said Matt Weiss & Sally Greenspan, on behalf of Friends of Chelsea Green. “We also want to acknowledge the thousands of downtown residents who have passionately supported this effort for nearly a decade. This park is a testament to the power of grassroots activism and a can-do New York spirit.”

Main Image: Courtesy of David Avila/NYC Parks.