Thomas Jefferson Park: A Park for the People and Puppies of East Harlem by Monica Huzinec

East Harlem is filled with many places for people in the community to come together.  Whether they be parks or restaurants, each place has a significant impact on the community and those living within it.  Thomas Jefferson Park is one of these examples. Nestled along the East River between 111^th and 114^th street, East Harlem residents of all ages, genders, and ethnicities (as well as their puppies) all have a place to meet for a stroll, a swim, or an afternoon of sports.

The site I chose to examine in East Harlem was Thomas Jefferson Park.  Located between 111^th street and 114^th street off of the FDR Drive, this park contains facilities such as a running track, soccer field, pool, and a variety of sports courts.  During both visits, I used my phone as well as pen and paper to record my data.  My first trip to Thomas Jefferson Park took place on Sunday, March 12^th at 12:00PM.  It was a very cold afternoon and there was light traffic throughout the park.  It consisted mostly of people walking through and walking their dogs on the cold morning.  Aside from the dog walkers, there was moderate gathering of people on the soccer field as well as the track surrounding it.

A majority of these people were younger kids and teenagers playing together as well as parents and their children riding bikes or playing around the track or on the field.  Due to the cold weather, I don’t think the amount of people at the park was that surprising. With the given conditions, there was still a decent number of individuals but I believe there would definitely be more on a warm spring Sunday morning.

My second visit took place on Friday, March 17^th at 6:45PM.  The sun had almost set and there was also still snow on the ground due to the large snow storm on that Tuesday. There were significantly less people present within the park but this was definitely due to the time of day, weather, and the amount of snow covering the fields, courts, and jungle gym area.  A majority of the people were adults walking their dogs most likely because they had just finished work for the day.  In contrast to Sunday morning, the park was not a place to hang out with friends or family but instead acted as a ground to pass through or walk dogs.

One of the issues I noticed in the park was that due to the large volume of dog walkers, there seemed to be a decent amount of dog waste on the grass as well as on the pathways in the park.  I think to resolve this issue, there should be a designated area for dogs.  A small dog park can provide owners with plastic baggies and increase socialization between dog owners in the community.  It will also hopefully consolidate any dog waste that isn’t picked up by the dog owners.  This small dog park can also draw in more dog owners to the park knowing there is a specific place in their community for them and their dogs.

Overall, I was very impressed with the layout and area of the park.  It provided many recreational areas for the residents of the surrounding apartment buildings in the three-block span.  It proved that it was a place for kids, adults, and dog walkers, and even elders to enjoy a stroll or an afternoon of physical activity with friends and family.

Attached below are my field drawings of my observations pertaining to the flow of people at Thomas Jefferson Park: