McCarren Park

About

McCarren Park is a public park in Brooklyn, New York City. It is located on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint and is bordered by Nassau Avenue, Bayard Street, Lorimer Street and North 12th Street. The park contains facilities for recreational softball, volleyball, soccer, handball, and other games. It is also used for sunbathing and dog-walking. It also includes the McCarren Play Center, which consists of a recreation center and a pool. McCarren Park is maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks).

Opened in 1906 and originally named Greenpoint Park, the park was renamed McCarren Park in 1909 after State Senator Patrick H. McCarren (1849–1909), who eventually became the Democratic boss of Brooklyn. The pool was planned by Robert Moses and designed by Aymar Embury II during a Works Progress Administration project in 1935–1936. Although McCarren Pool was slated for renovation in the 1980s, it was instead closed due to opposition from the community. The McCarren Play Center was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2007. The pool was used for concerts between 2005 and 2008, and the pool and play center were restored in 2012.