Central Park’s Long-Awaited Davis Center Opens With a Joyous Celebration

By Bonnie Eissner

The Central Park Conservancy threw a boisterous party on Saturday afternoon, and for good reason. 

After years of construction, the $160-million Davis Center — the new recreation space at the northern end of the park where the dilapidated Lasker Rink and Pool once stood — opened to the public. 

Even the rain that poured down at times during the four-hour opening festivities didn’t dampen spirits or the crowds. The planners anticipated 2,500 visitors. The celebration drew that number in the first hour. 

Intended to connect New Yorkers to their park, the sustainably designed center did just that. 

Robyn and Davain Walker came from Yonkers to sample the event and the center. They had just had their faces painted in elaborate animal masks and stood next to the center’s plush turf lawn.

“We really, really love Central Park,” Robyn said. “Our first date was in Central Park 10 years ago, so it’s been a thing for us for the last 10 years.” 

Davain thought the opening day announcement sounded awesome, he said, and he and Robyn hadn’t explored the park’s northern end. “I knew it would be a good time,” he said, “and even though it’s a little bit rainy, we’re still having a blast.”  

Face painting was just one of the many activities that appealed to people of all ages. Throughout the afternoon, the expansive lawn accommodated young and old as they danced to a DJ and live band, watched a marching band, stretched in yoga poses, played lawn games and giant Jenga, enjoyed free food, or simply relaxed.

Kris Fuksman and his 5-year-old daughter, Emmy, waited in a long line for lemonade from Melba’s Restaurant and samples of jarred confections from Harlem Baking Company. Fuksman, a born and bred Upper West Sider, fondly remembers playing hockey at Lasker Rink as a kid, despite the 4 a.m. starts. “It was a great resource,” he said of the old rink, “but this is amazing. It’s absolutely beautiful, and the city did a really good job with it.” 

The Davis Center building, unlike its Brutalist predecessor, is subtle and welcoming. Made of largely locally sourced stone, ceramic tile, wood, and glass, it tucks into the surrounding hillside. Visitors can stroll over the building’s green roof, which offers vistas of the restored Harlem Meer. Floor-to-ceiling, bird-safe glass doors pivot open from an airy multipurpose room onto what is now an inviting turf lawn, but, in the summer, will convert to a larger-than-Olympic-size pool and, in the winter, a full-size ice rink.

The pool will open in late June and will be run by the Parks Department. In the spring and fall, the lawn will be open to the public and the site of free and low-cost wellness programs. 

Mahogany Brim, who lives in East Harlem, had already researched the upcoming activities. “I’m really into fitness,” she said, “and they’re having yoga, aerobics, all that kind of stuff for $5. So, if I can just walk in, come take a class, and enjoy the park, then why not.” 

Darren Hood grew up in Harlem and used to swim at the pool, where his aunt worked. “I was excited to hear about them renovating the pool,” he said. “It was in need of a renovation.” 

Gemma Aafjes, another Harlemite, came to the opening with her husband and two young boys. She watched the center develop on her daily bike commute. “It’s so nice that it’s finally here, and it’s such a great addition to this side of the park,” she said. “I always feel there’s a lot of focus on the lower side of the park, with more tourists coming down there. It’s closer to midtown, but this is such a great neighborhood, and having it here is just fabulous.” 

Sabina Kelley spent chunks of her childhood in Harlem, where her aunts had a beauty shop on 145th Street. Her parents took her to swim and skate at Lasker. “This was our outdoor space,” she said. “It’s always been part of the culture of Harlem. Of course, it fell into disrepair.” 

She continued, “It got a bad rap. It was unpatrolled and neglected, but I am so thrilled to see what they’ve done in this park for the people of New York because this is a national treasure.” 

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