Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bloomberg Announces Free Wi-Fi Coming To 20 City Parks
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 9, 2011
Modified Jun 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 9, 2011
Modified Jun 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Finally, we have a reason to emerge from our sanctuaries of brick, plywood and air conditioning to do our business in the park: the city announced today that 20 parks throughout the five boroughs will all be getting free public Wi-Fi. While we're quite excited at the prospect, we worry that Chuck Schumer might not be too happy about this one.
Mayor Bloomberg and Randall Stephenson, the chairman and CEO of AT&T, made the announcement at Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan today. The Mayor's Twitter account revealed that three places will have public Internet connections starting today: at Battery Bosque in Battery Park, the north-end playground in Joyce Kilmer Park and around the recreation center at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem. He also noted that at least 17 other parks which will be getting it later this summer:
- In Brooklyn, free Wi-Fi is coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Fort Greene Park, Herbert Von King Park, McCarren Park and Prospect Park
- In Manhattan, free Wi-Fi is coming to the High Line, Holcombe Rucker Park, Marcus Garvey Park, Tompkins Sq and parts of Central Park
- In the Bronx, free Wi-Fi is coming to Bronx River Park and Devoe Park
- In Queens, free Wi-Fi is coming to Astoria Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park and MacDonald Park
- In Staten Island, free Wi-Fi is coming to Clove Lake Park and South Beach
You can see more information about the project, including locations of each of the parks, here. The initiative runs for several years and will be free for all users, Dallas-based AT&T told Bloomberg News. So will people flock to parks with their computers now? Will this affect business at Starbucks and local coffee shops? And most importantly, will we even ever be able to go outside again without staining our shirts with sweat?
Tagged
at&t
bloomberg
free wi-fi
internet
mayor bloomberg
parks
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
The MTA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating how Yaw Boahene was fatally dragged by a subway train in Brooklyn on Monday.
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 2, 2026 at 2:06 p.m. ET
NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem
The victim suffered severe burns on his face and neck.
By
Ryan Kost
News
NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem
The victim suffered severe burns on his face and neck.
By
Ryan Kost
Intoxication not a 'license' to rape: Hochul pushes to tighten law amid Cornell scandal
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Parks police told a yoga teacher to leash her dog. It got ugly.
By
Samantha Max
Early Addition: There's finally stuff inside the Times Square tower where the ball drops
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .