On the corner of Evergreen Avenue and Noll Street, a hound/border collie mix named Peekay stands unleashed at the entrance of Green Central Knoll Park. His owner, Dani, trails behind, crawling through a large hole in the fence beneath a “NO PETS” sign.
Green Central Knoll Playground is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its sports field is closed when not in use by a permit holder — a policy the Parks Department says has been in place since at least 2019 — after local dog owners let their pets play off-leash and left behind waste. Despite this, Bushwick residents and their furry friends continue to use the field.
“I do feel bad for the people who are trying to play games here legitimately, and there’s dogs running after kids, stealing balls, digging holes, and pooping,” said Dani, who declined to share her full name. “That said, if there’s nobody out here, I enjoy using the park, knowing I might get ticketed.”
Dani has previously been fined $65 for letting Peekay run off-leash.
According to park rules, all dogs in public spaces in New York City must be leashed unless they are in a designated dog run or off-leash area. Because Green Central Knoll is a closed sports field, violators face different kinds of civil penalties.
For many, it’s a price they’re willing to pay.
“I use this park probably three times a day. A lot of people do,” said John Newton, who lives a block away with his brown Swiss Mountain Dog, Teddy, and recalls another owner getting fined $150. “There’s a private dog run in my building, but nothing beats taking him out to the park.”
For José Cueto, a 71-year-old maintenance worker at Green Central Knoll, residents’ misuse has made his job difficult — but he no longer sees a point in fighting it.
“What can I do? We put up a fence, they cut a hole. We chain the fence, they break the lock,” Cueto said with a shrug and a laugh.
Cueto, who works Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is responsible for cleaning, repairing and maintaining the park. He says most dog owners come early in the morning.
“The dogs poop on the floor. I clean it up, but that’s it. I can’t do anything else,” he said.
Over the years, he has become accustomed to interacting with residents — and visitors said he has even softened toward their presence.
The use of Green Central Knoll has become a tug-of-war between residents seeking space for their dogs and park officials trying to enforce regulations. While Brooklyn has over a dozen dog runs, Bushwick has just one, located in Maria Hernandez Park. The next closest run is at Sternberg Park, about a mile away in Williamsburg. Residents say it’s not enough.
“Maria Hernandez is tiny, there’s no shade, and it floods all the time. It’s just kind of gross,” said Dani.
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Brian Hernandez, another Bushwick resident, arrived on a recent afternoon with his German shepherd mix, Luli. As Peekay and Luli greeted each other, he echoed Dani’s sentiment.
“The more dog runs, the better,” Hernandez said. “I prefer Green Central Knoll because the field is much larger, and there’s always a dog or two for Luli to play with.”
The two said they’d be willing to pay for a solution.
“If the county offered an annual fee to maintain the park and allow it as a dog run, I’d pay it in a heartbeat,” Dani said.
Hernandez agreed. “I’d pay $20 a month,” he added, as Luli barked.
