DeWitt Clinton Park

When my kids were little, I took them here after school and on weekends. We met so many neighbors and I have great photos and memories at that park.

The central hub to see all the friends you grew up with in the neighborhood. It’s where I trained with my uncle as a kid to be better at basketball. The neighborhood BBQ spot in the 90s. It’s love and family in that park. It’s where friends regrouped after the pandemic and became a stronger community.

The garden and the flowers are beautiful and the dog walking community is very friendly.

Go on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, or any day for that matter, and you’ll see a beautiful heart-of-Hell’s-Kitchen scene brimming with life all over that park. And an early 20th Century monument to the young folk of the neighborhood who fought in WWI and lost their lives “in Flanders Fields.”

My son used to have little league practice and games there. My dogs love it. We used to see Trevor Noah around there all the time and get our Christmas trees there.

Another excellent dog run for Scuttle, with a separate area for small dogs! And now my Big Apple kickball leagues are about to start there!

During the early days of the lockdown, when we couldn’t go anywhere or see anyone, DeWitt Clinton Park was crucial to preserving our sanity. Liam was sad as he wanted to join Little League, but they were all shut down. One day, walking past DeWitt Clinton, I saw it was deserted. So I started taking Liam there to play baseball. Then it occurred to me that you *have* to socially distance from others in order to play baseball in the first place. That’s how the Hell’s Kitchen Rangers became the Hell’s Kitchen Yankees. Without those days of kids and parents playing baseball on a deserted field, the lockdown would have been much tougher than it was. DeWitt Clinton has since filled up with people again, and to see it now, bustling with activity, does the heart good. And this isn’t even mentioning the superior water features and playground.