Bayswater Park Improvements
Working with our partners at the Natural Areas Conservancy, the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) provided funding to improve parkland in Queens and Brooklyn.
Bayswater Park
Situated on Jamaica Bay, along the Rockaway peninsula, Bayswater Park is a 40-acre community park maintained and operated by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). The park provides the community with ballfields, picnic areas, barbecue stations, a children's playground, a kayak launch area and a number of trails.
After years of use, the popular picnic area and adjacent barbecues, as well as the trail system were in great need of some TLC. The NAC and JBRPC in partnership with NYC Parks developed a plan to revitalize the picnic area, improve the trail system, and restore the waterfront.
Picnic Area
Working in coordination with the Rockaway Park Administrator and other NYC Parks staff, NAC and JBRPC oversaw the replacement of existing picnic tables and barbecues, and the installation of new plantings. This project also include the creation of a new mural adjacent to the picnic area which was completed in 2017. NAC, JBRPC and NYC Parks engaged local youth and artists in the design and installation of the mural.
Picnic and BBQ area before the project
Renovated picnic and BBQ area
Mural before the project
Newly installed mural
Trail System
Bayswater Park draws people from many neighboring communities for active and passive recreation. This project builds on a series of successful 2016 pilot projects by NAC and NYC Parks to improve public access and encourage the use of trails in natural areas across NYC. These projects include improvements to existing trails and closing redundant trails through tree planting, resulting in one mile of trail at Bayswater Park. The Bayswater trail provides a connection to Norton Basin Natural Resource Area. Trails are now clearly marked with blazes (below). Work on the trail was compelted in 2017.
1 mile of trial improvements
One mile of trail in Bayswater Park will be improved, enhancing public access and the user experience.
Installation of new blazes
Shoreline Restoration
This project will rebuild and enhance wetlands and adjacent forest that were impacted by development in the Rockaways, and will improve coastal resilience. Work will be coordinated with the NYC Parks Wetlands Restoration team and with interagency partners with construction expected to begin in 2018.