This project explores how NYC park events evolved from 2018–2025, revealing the city’s seasonal rhythms, shifting event types, and spatial patterns of activity. Special attention is given to how COVID-19 disrupted attendance, altered event composition, and reshaped the geographic footprint of community gatherings.
We use two datasets from NYC Open Data:
- Parks Special Events — 20k+ records containing event date/time, borough, category, classification, and attendance.
- Parks Properties — polygon geometries for all NYC parks, enabling precise spatial mapping.
Data were cleaned, filtered, and standardized before analyzing temporal trends, category dynamics, and spatial clustering. Key visual tools include monthly barplots, seasonal ridge plots, attendance hexbin maps, and alluvial diagrams tracking category shifts through time.
- Strong seasonal cycles shape NYC’s event rhythm, with clear summer peaks.
- COVID-19 caused noticeable contractions in event volume and attendance, followed by a gradual rebound.
- Spatial hexbin maps show evolving hotspots of park activity, emphasizing geographic inequities.
- Category and classification analyses highlight which event types remained resilient or declined.