June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 18

Community Center

Agency Spotlight: Syracuse Parks
and Recreation, New York
By Catrina Belt
Municipality: Syracuse, New York
Population: 144,669
Year Agency Founded: 1919
Annual Operating Budget:
$7.6 million
Director: Commissioner Lazarus Sims
Full-time Employees: 104
Seasonal Employees: 750

Essential Information
1,000 acres of park land, 175 park
properties, eight major community-wide parks including three listed
on the National Register of Historic
Places, 12 neighborhood parks, 50
playgrounds, 20 downtown parks,
two golf courses, three ice rinks, two
indoor and eight outdoor pools, two
amphitheaters, four cemeteries, four
natural-forested areas, two artificial
turf fields, one running track and numerous courts and ball fields.

Community Wellness
The City of Syracuse Department
of Parks, Recreation and Youth
Programs reflects the rich history
and diversity of the city of Syracuse. " Syracuse is large enough to
have the capacity of a city yet small
enough to have a town-like interaction with our public, " says Glen
Lewis, director of planning for Syracuse Parks and Recreation. " As a
city, Syracuse developed incrementally so our park system is knitted
into the city fabric, neighborhood
by neighborhood. There are major
parks in every section of the city as
well as smaller parks that serve micro-neighborhoods. "
Syracuse Parks and Recreation
incorporates a wealth of offerings
to promote a healthy and active
lifestyle to residents throughout the
city. The agency operates a num-

Syracuse Parks and Recreation engages its
younger patrons with sports leagues and
clinics, summer day camps and other activities throughout the year.
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ber of facilities including walkable golf courses, ice-skating rinks,
swimming pools and a recently
opened skate plaza for boards and
bikes. Beyond facilities, Syracuse
offers a wide range of clubs, classes
and activities in which community
members may take part throughout
the year. Syracuse has a strong running community that is supported
through annual road races in area
parks and neighborhoods. Syracuse
Parks and Recreation also works
with local fitness providers to offer free outdoor fitness, yoga and
other wellness-themed classes in
downtown parks during the workday in the summer. In addition to
all of the adult programming, Syracuse serves hundreds of youth
each year through organized basketball leagues, instructional sport
clinics and robust summer day
camps. The agency works closely
with several community organizations to provide fields of play for
a variety of youth sport programs
throughout the year.
" A healthy citizenry contributes
to a more vibrant community and a
greater quality of life in our cities, "
says Chris Abbott, program director
for Syracuse Parks and Recreation.
" Few things are more pleasing to
parks staff than to see a neighborhood park brimming with patrons
on a fair weather day - in all four
seasons - enjoying active pursuits...running or walking a trail,
engaging in team sports, using the
playgrounds, swimming or snowshoeing! We're a city that truly em-
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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