Manhattan · New York County
Asphalt Green
Recreation Complex
- Location
- East 90th Street, York Ave & FDR Drive, Upper East Side
- Size
- 4.35 acres
- Hours
- Varies by facility
- Type
- Recreation Complex
Asphalt Green is a 4.35-acre nonprofit recreation campus on the Upper East Side, situated between East 90th Street, York Avenue, and the FDR Drive. While the grounds fall under NYC Parks jurisdiction, the facility is operated by the Asphalt Green organization, which provides athletic and fitness programming for New Yorkers of all ages.
The site's name reflects its industrial past: from 1941 to 1968, it housed the Municipal Asphalt Plant, a parabolic concrete building designed by architects Kahn and Jacobs. The distinctive arched structure, originally used for mixing asphalt for city road projects, was converted into a recreation facility and is now a designated New York City landmark.
The campus includes an Olympic-standard 50-meter swimming pool (the AquaCenter), indoor and outdoor athletic fields, a fitness center, and extensive youth programming. The swimming program is particularly renowned, having produced several Olympic and national-level competitive swimmers.
Asphalt Green serves approximately 60,000 participants annually through community programs including swimming lessons, youth sports leagues, fitness classes, and summer camps. Scholarship programs ensure access for families who might not otherwise afford membership fees.
The transformation of the Municipal Asphalt Plant into Asphalt Green stands as one of New York's most successful examples of adaptive reuse, converting an industrial building into a vital community asset that serves the Upper East Side and beyond.