It would be helpful for the city to fix the issues you claim exist if you had photos to back this up.

I was in the park yesterday and honestly, I didn't see any of this. Aside from dirt bikes and ATVs that are prolific on Madison and sometimes in the park, and maybe an uptick in the number of unhoused persons hanging out in the park (which they have every right to do), everything looked fine and I had a great walk.

I’m sure it wasn’t your intention, but this post feels cruel.

I visit Washington Park three times a day and each visit fills me with love for this city. There are so many neighbors, kids, dogs, trees right in the center of the city! It’s a space for the entire city to enjoy. Everyone has a right to be there.

Sure, let’s continue to make the park more beautiful and fun (and please please reopen the public bathrooms! 😀), but it is a lovely gem.

Slagging the public nature of our public infrastructure corrodes it. Let’s shore it up instead!

I agree with the writer. The place is a dump, even Lark Street.

The park has so much potential but it is not taken care of the way it should be. Many of the issues in the park are beyond the city's control like noise on Madison Ave., But many of the other things, like the trash only being picked up once a week, lack of police patrols to curb the drug problems in the park (I have found many needles in the grass while walking my dog), and people driving around the interior of the park, especially near the tennis and basketball courts, can be addressed by the city. It's a matter of will rather then resources as every municipality chooses how to deploy their resources, even if there aren't many of them. Albany has chosen to not make Washington Park a priority and that's ok but if you don't like that then vote to change it.

That must’ve been a long walk to see all that! I’ve lived across from WP for years and have seen the highs and lows but I am there regularly and it’s never been as bad as you claim. I pick up garbage and broken glass when I see it because I understand that not everyone who uses public spaces is considerate and the small park staff can only do so much. Being part of the solution feels more constructive than just complaining, but if it’s below your standards feel free to let the rest of us enjoy it!

It is funny to see people dispute what was posted. We have seen these things all over Albany and many individual complaints in the park that add up to what is posted here. So when was any of it actually fixed so that it would be hard to believe? And I have also seen many pictures posted of these various complaints. Seen some of it myself but have only passed through the park and not walked to all points or hung out there. For reasons that should be obvious from reading peoples complaints.

As long as we have a mayor who thinks these minority communities are below her and a DGS who doesn’t have accountability or pride in doing a good job then it won’t improve. This is the new normal you are supposed to be happy with. But it is a microcosm of the fact that the city does not help or have respect for its people.

Thank you for your concern, this issue has been received by our department and is under review.

I don't know how anyone can deny these issues if you use the park regularly. I walk there daily and see all these issues and more. They have all been posted here at one time or another, most with photos though you can't expect someone to safely photograph drug dealers and users. In some ways the original post downplayed the extent. Ignoring the problems isn't helpful and, as positive as a park or block community clean up might be, or individuals picking up trash on a walk, that isn't going to make a dent in the issues of crime, safety, noise, neglect, vandalism and trash. This is a much bigger issue, in the surrounding community also, requiring a sustained consistent city response as well as community members continuing to do our part. Here's from today's walk, a picture of the graffiti on the Lake House for those who don't see any of these issues. The graffiti is all along the Lake House.

Calling the park a dump and making premonitions of neighborhood decline is not cool. But, Washington Park is a gem that is not maintained, preserved, or protected to the standard that it should be. I don’t see how any reasonable person could debate that point. We have got to face reality. Things need to get better—and we deserve better.

I have indeed seen all the things described in the original post and so much more that I just don’t want to describe here. Park needs to be better kept and better policed point blank period.

we used to have a parks commissioner and it was taken away by the mayors office ...how is she doing? .. vote her out

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Thanks for fixing this request!