Image credit: NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
On September 8, 2023, the Parks Department was joined by elected officials, community members, and menswear Les Deux to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the newly renovated basketball courts in Washington Market Park in Tribeca. The park is located on Chambers Street between West Street and Greenwich Street.
The updated courts were made through the NYC Parks’ Creative Courts Initiative, where the agency partners with organizations to renovate dated courts with new surfaces and murals to create welcoming, vibrant spaces for communities. At Washington Market Park, the renovations included new court surfaces, walls, hoops, and Danish art.
The Danish art is inspired by Les Deux, whose company originated in Copenhagen, Denmark. Les Deux funded the $70,000 renovations through its charitable platform Les Deux Legacy. To mark the opening, Les Deux brought pro basketball coach and trainer Tremaine Dalton and his non-profit “The Process of Basketball” to organize a training session with local kids. Afterward, a 3-on-3 tournament was hosted with talented basketball players from across the city, and $2,000 was donated to the charity of the winner’s choice.
Since 2016, the Creative Courts Initiative has renovated 44 courts in 20 parks.
Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner Anthony Perez stated, “I’m so excited to celebrate the renovation of the Washington Market Park Basketball Courts, which gives this space a bright, colorful centerpiece and makes it more fun to get outdoors and get active. By hosting athletics in our parks, we can strengthen our communities and provide a positive outlet for young people. Providing safe places to play, work out, and meet with neighbors, combined with other public safety initiatives, has helped to keep crime low at a time when it normally spikes. We want to give a special thanks to Les Deux for spearheading this renovation, making it a place for residents of Lower Manhattan as well as students from Stuyvesant H.S. and Borough of Manhattan Community College to enjoy for years to come.”
Andreas Von Der Heide, Co-Founder of Les Deux, stated, “We’re so lucky to be in a position as a business where we’re able to run these sorts of projects. The truth is, we’re only here and chasing our dream because of the people and communities that have helped us and believed in us along the way. Now, we want to help others who aren’t as lucky to find their dream. Sport changes lives, directly and indirectly. If we’re bringing a small amount of happiness to the residents of Tribeca, then we’ve achieved our goal. It’s not just about product, it’s also about people.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)