CHRISTOPHER CLAY [Brooklyn]

Although COVID-19 completely changed the landscape of business in New York City, our actual landscape remained constant. “The city parks were still being utilized.” explains Parks Supervisor Chris Clay. “The subway was like a ghost town, but the parks were one of the few spaces that people could come out and enjoy in any capacity.”

Chris works with District Three, one of the largest districts in Manhattan. “It’s big geographically, with over a hundred properties in the district, including historic and heavily used properties like Tompkins Square Park, East River Park, and Seward Park, one of the first playgrounds in the city. COVID meant restrictions, but our city parks still needed tending and maintenance. The City Cleanup Corps was a huge boon for us. They were ready, able, and willing to work, which was a great help for parks and properties that had been unfortunately neglected due to COVID. Now, they got revitalized.”

With a background in environmental studies, making New York City’s urban environmental spaces as good as they can be is something Chris is very passionate about. “My daughter was born in the middle of the pandemic… but this summer we got to take her to the park and she loves it. I want every New Yorker to have these spaces, where they can just relax and enjoy being someplace that doesn’t have four walls. It’s great that the communities have these properties to use. The City Cleanup Corps has really done a lot to make these spaces much better for everybody.”