How a Citizen's Park Gym in Harlem Took On New York City—and Won

It’s the type of late-spring afternoon that nudges all of New York City toward outdoor activities, and Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem is buzzing. The 20-acre public park sits just south of the neighborhood’s main boulevard, 125th Street, where shiny new apartment buildings and retail stores have been popping up around cultural landmarks like the Apollo Theater in recent years, signaling a steady shift toward gentrification. Today there are dog walkers and joggers, kids getting out of school and burning off some excess energy, elderly folks looking for some fresh air, and, of course, the guys hustling chess games. But I’m headed to the southeast corner of the park to do something I haven’t done in a long time—an outdoor workout. My instructor is Luis Melo (friends call him Melo), 43, who functions as the unofficial manager of the unofficial community gym where we’ll be working out, the Lion’s Den. He waves me over to an exercise area that’s made up of a collection of faded blue pullup, dip, and monkey bars, basically your standard metal playground fare from the days when children’s safety was of little concern; it doubles nicely for calisthenics. But there are a few more freshly added pieces of equipment there, too, including a heavy bag, a bench, assorted dumbbells—and even more gear stowed in a large green storage container nearby. “As the summer comes, we’re going to put more of it out, and it’s going to just give people more motivation even to come here,” Melo says. “There’s people that walk by that just be like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that your space is here.’ ” [View in Browser]( [Men's Health]( [SHOP]( [MVP EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Alternate text] THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ [Alternate text] [How a Citizen's Park Gym in Harlem Took On New York City—and Won]( [How a Citizen's Park Gym in Harlem Took On New York City—and Won]( [It’s the type of late-spring afternoon that nudges all of New York City toward outdoor activities, and Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem is buzzing. The 20-acre public park sits just south of the neighborhood’s main boulevard, 125th Street, where shiny new apartment buildings and retail stores have been popping up around cultural landmarks like the Apollo Theater in recent years, signaling a steady shift toward gentrification. Today there are dog walkers and joggers, kids getting out of school and burning off some excess energy, elderly folks looking for some fresh air, and, of course, the guys hustling chess games. But I’m headed to the southeast corner of the park to do something I haven’t done in a long time—an outdoor workout. My instructor is Luis Melo (friends call him Melo), 43, who functions as the unofficial manager of the unofficial community gym where we’ll be working out, the Lion’s Den. He waves me over to an exercise area that’s made up of a collection of faded blue pullup, dip, and monkey bars, basically your standard metal playground fare from the days when children’s safety was of little concern; it doubles nicely for calisthenics. But there are a few more freshly added pieces of equipment there, too, including a heavy bag, a bench, assorted dumbbells—and even more gear stowed in a large green storage container nearby. “As the summer comes, we’re going to put more of it out, and it’s going to just give people more motivation even to come here,” Melo says. “There’s people that walk by that just be like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that your space is here.’ ”]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Zappos Has Major Sales on Hoka, ASICS, and New Balance Running Shoes]( [Zappos Has Major Sales on Hoka, ASICS, and New Balance Running Shoes]( [As the days get cooler, running shoe deals are getting hotter.]( [READ MORE]( [Is It Better to Work Out with More Weight or More Reps?]( [Is It Better to Work Out with More Weight or More Reps?]( [One of the age old weight room questions, answered.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [15 Types of Shirts Every Man Should Know—And Own]( [15 Types of Shirts Every Man Should Know—And Own]( [Yeah, there are quite a few.]( [READ MORE]( [We Break Down the Differences Between Hoka and Brooks Shoes]( [We Break Down the Differences Between Hoka and Brooks Shoes]( [How do two of the most popular running shoe brands stack up against each other? Find out below.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [It's Time to Finally Buy a Golf Watch: Here Are 9 to Buy Now]( [It's Time to Finally Buy a Golf Watch: Here Are 9 to Buy Now]( [Because we could all use a little data to boost our game.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [We Tested the New Apple Watch Ultra 2. Here's What We Thought.]( [We Tested the New Apple Watch Ultra 2. Here's What We Thought.]( [The second iteration of the rugged adventure wearable is even brighter—and speedier—than the first.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Improve Sleep With Blue Light Blocking Frames From Men's Health]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Men's Health is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2023 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779