Parks and Rec/Community based Job Equivalents in NYC?
I recently was living in CA and working in Parks in Recreation. I absolutely loved it, more than anything. In fact, I was considering going back to school for it and changing careers to go into it full time. Over in California, parks and rec meant working in community centers, creating and executing programs for youth/adults/seniors, park maintenance and reporting, and getting to interact with the general public. I loved working with the community and I realized Community is a big value I have. I, unfortunately, had to quit my job and move back to NYC due to unforeseen circumstances. I am applying for P&R out here, but, I am nervous about making it a career. It doesn't seem as prevalent in NYC as it did in CA.
I am interested if anyone has any recommendations they can give for similar career pathways in NYC? I just turned 30, I already have a Master's, but, I wouldn't be against going back to school for a community based career.
tldr: I am obsessed with community based jobs and programming. Any career path recs in NYC?
Posted Mar 14, 2026, 3:11 AM UTC