Weegee Daily… June 4, 1943… “City Board Cuts Down on Heat Wave Scenes Like This”

PM, June 4, 1943
City Board Cuts Down on Heat Wave Scenes Like This

Enjoying life while they may, this happy group of youngsters ducks the 89 degree heat under a shower at the Monroe St. Playground unaware that as they cooled off that the Board of Estimate had been doing its bit to cut down on scenes like this. The board prepared for the hottest months by slashing playground and recreation funds to the bone, dropping 82 playgrounds and limiting hours of use.

Dozing New Yorkers are still creatures of the soil – with thousands of others this heat bedeviled citizen takes to the Park and grass. Temperature at midnight was 83 and the parks were still populated.

These kids took matters into their own hands until the cops turned off the hydrant. This was Cherry St. on the Lower East Side, but the scene was duplicated many places.
PM Photos by Weegee

Weegee Daily, June 4, 2014

Enjoying life while they may, (YOLO) this happy group of youngsters skates and rides in the 81 degree heat under the Manhattan Bridge at the Coleman Square Playground unaware that as they skated and biked the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation have planted 865, 159 trees… And according to nycgovparks.org

New York has come a long way in building an environmentally-sustainable future, and with more than 29,800 acres of parkland, we are well on our way to becoming the greenest city in America. Our city’s parks improve quality of life for all New Yorkers, and over the last 12 years, our Administration has invested $5 billion in rebuilding, revitalizing, and preserving these essential resources…
We have also worked to ensure that these spaces provide our residents with opportunities to enjoy outstanding art and innovative design. NYC Parks curates the largest municipal outdoor art museum in the United States, with a permanent collection of 1,000 monuments and art pieces installed across the city and more than 30 temporary exhibits showcased each year. Our green spaces are a study in good design as well, seamlessly blending the natural landscape with manmade structures and paying homage to the rich history of New York.

Skating New Yorkers are still creatures of the air and the wheels – with thousands of others this pink clad citizen takes to the park and the concrete. Temperature at midnight was 71.