Bloomberg Opens New Playfield At Brooklyn Bridge Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Brooklyn residents will soon have a new playing field at Pier 5 at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
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The city has spent $26 million converting the abandoned 650-foot-long pier in into three multi-purpose state-of-the-art playing fields covered with artificial turf.
"The five-acre landing that we are standing on formerly served as a shipping pier, but that pier was languishing, out of use since the early 1980s," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg at its opening on Thursday.
The fields, which feature a spectacular view of the Lower Manhattan skyline, will be used mainly for soccer, but will also be open for lacrosse, rugby, cricket, flag football, and ultimate frisbee.
When a local resident confronted the mayor and and said too many helicopters buzz about the pier, His Honor dismissed the complaint.
"Unfortunately, we live in a big city and we have to have transportation in and out. Helicopters are a very big part of that transportation," he said.
He also laughed off a suggestion that tourist helicopters be moved to New Jersey.
