The Forest Park Carousel is open for the 2013 season. My daughter enjoyed riding it and it was inexpensive. The operators of the carousel were very friendly. The only problem I had there was there were no public restrooms to use.
I had taken my daughter to Dry Harbor Playground on Myrtle Avenue earlier. When we had to go to the bathroom both public restrooms located in the building that used to house the play school were locked so we decided to walk down to the part of Forest Park where the carousel is located. I said to myself, ‘the bathrooms have to be open since this opening day for the carousel.’ Well I was wrong — both the men’s room and the ladies’ rooms were locked and so was the park ranger’s office.
After we rode the carousel the operators told me the Parks Department knew they were opening today so he doesn’t understand why the restrooms were not open. Ed Wendell of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association and others fought so hard to reopen the carousel and urged people to bring their children there. Without public restrooms available I don’t know many parents who would want to go there. Small children and adults need to use the bathroom when they are out in the park for the day.
It can’t be standard for all public parks because the restrooms are open year-round in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. If my daughter wants to ride a carousel I will take her there. I won’t be going back to Forest Park again. What a shame after the fight to get it back in business.
Charlene L. Stubbs
Maspeth
