Brooklyn Bridge Park First to Cross Over to Free Wi-Fi

Home Brooklyn Life Brooklyn Bridge Park First to Cross Over to Free Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is growing in parks around the city, but Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO, which is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, appears to be the first to have the service cover the entire park, according to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Mayor Bloomberg announced in June that 20 parks across the five boroughs would provide free Wi-Fi, but so far the service is available in only some of the parks, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The department has information available on its website on the specific locations in each park.

The project in Brooklyn Bridge Park is a joint venture between DUMBO Industrial District, Two Trees Management Company and NYC Wireless.

Wi-Fi sign
The DUMBO free WiFi service plaque outside Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Neha Banka/The Brooklyn Ink.

Robert Perris, the district manager for Brooklyn Community Board 2 told The Brooklyn Ink, “As the largest property owner and developer, Two Trees Management has taken many initiatives to make DUMBO location an attractive neighborhood to live and work.  Installation of free Wi-Fi is just one of these initiatives, and one that is made logistically easier for Two Trees because it owns so many of the buildings where digital equipment has been installed.”

Two Trees Management Company was also instrumental in the installation of the much-publicized Jane’s Carousel, which sits in Brooklyn Bridge Park as well. The Wi-Fi was inaugurated in June and the Carousel opened in September this year.

Jane Walentas, the president and founder of Jane’s Carousel, insists that the carousel and Wi-Fi have nothing to do with each other.

“We’re not that imaginative,” Walentas said in response to The Brooklyn Ink’s queries about whether setting up both the Wi-Fi and the carousel within months of each other was a strategic move by Two Trees Management Company. Walentas is married to the owner of Two Trees, Mr. David Walentas.

“Two Trees donates a lot to the arts and parks and is trying to make DUMBO a more livable place,” said Barbara Wagner, the spokeswoman for Two Trees Management.

Ellen P. Ryan, vice president of strategic partnerships of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Council said that that the Brooklyn Bridge Park Committee did not formally seek and select anyone to offer free Wi-Fi.

“The three partners—the Dumbo BID, Two Trees and NYC Wireless—were wiring all the public spaces of Dumbo and offered to include the park sections in their fit-out of the network,” she said. “We were happy to have the park spaces here included in this network, as a service to our visitors. This service was free to us and our visitors.”

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that the provision of free Wi-Fi in Brooklyn Bridge Park is a desirable amenity for visitors”, said Ryan.

The Wi-Fi requires registration prior to using it. Dumbo Improvement District, which manages the free service, was unavailable for comment on this pre-requisite.

Many other parks around New York City have started providing free Wi-Fi to visitors but unlike the Brooklyn Bridge Park, it doesn’t usually cover large expanses of the park. Central Park, one of the largest parks in New York City, only had free Wi-Fi during the open-air concert week during summer. In the coming months, according to the mayor’s office, free Wi-Fi services will be provided to others parks across the boroughs.

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