Quality of Life and Property Values

Without question, great parks enhance the desirability of living in any community.

All the most desirable metropolises of the world have great green spaces. The magnificent recreational possibilities and the open spaces comprising the Westchester system offer Westchester residents a wide range of opportunities to enjoy their leisure time. Green parks also enhance the environment. In dollars and cents, Westchester parks improve the quality of life in our county and as a result push up the property values.

Economic Impacts of Parks

The Empire State Games helped dramatize the importance of our parks system, not only as a great place to host the games, but also the value for our county’s economy. With almost 30,000 visitors and athletes coming to games, Parks helped pump the Westchester economy in terms of hotel rooms rented, extra sales tax dollars, not to mention the beneficial impact on businesses large and small. The games helped to dramatize value of parks to the economy, which is a fact of life every day. Playland and the County Center alone, with combined attendance in the millions, have a massive impact on the economy of Westchester. In addition, Westchester Parks provides jobs for hundreds of young people. A substantial portion of our 1,075 summer and seasonal employees are young people working as interns, lifeguards or other jobs at Playland.

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Report from the Commissioner 2006-07

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