Have You Spotted These Funny Signs in Fort Tryon Park?

Become a paid member to listen to this article

Quietly, with no announcement, NYC Parks has been installing humorous signs in Fort Tryon Park to add a sense of playful discovery to visitors of the park. The signs are designed like standard NYC Parks signage with the signature green color and logo, but have witty and lighthearted messages. “Don’t give up!” reads one sign on one of the long staircases, followed by “37 steps to go” as the summit approaches. One we particularly like, clearly written for locals, “IT’S TRY-ON not TY-RON. I checked.” There’s even a sign with a wildlife bingo board with animals you can find in the park.

Some signs are in Spanish, to speak to the Dominican-dominated Hispanic community in Washington Heights: “¡ No pare, sigue, sigue!” (“Don’t stop, go go!”). Between benches, a sign says “RESERVADO PARA LAS PERSONAS BACANAS” (“Reserved for cool people”). One sign marks the second highest point in Manhattan (at 260 feet), another encourages marriage proposals (at least one has already happened!). A sign as The Cloisters approaches announces that “JOUSTERS WANTED FOR SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT” with a pun: “Must work Knights.” Another sign when you walk under the arches of the original stone arches of the former C.K.G. Billings estate says “We only hang the chandeliers on special ocassions.”

Photo by Daniel Avila courtesy NYC Parks

The copy for the signs are all unique to Fort Tryon. NYC Parks tells us that part of the aim is to allow for a new relationship between signs and visitors: “Signs are omnipresent in our parks, but they’re typically regulatory in nature; we wanted to turn that on its head and use signs to share Fort Tryon’s unique voice and encourage people to experience the park in a new way. The park is fun, it’s romantic, it’s mysterious—and, yes, it has a sense of humor.” Indeed, Instagram users have been having a field day: “Parks department got jokes” posted sweetgothamnyc.