Parks kisses Wi-Fi goodbye

Logging onto the Internet for free at many New York City parks has become another casualty of the financial crisis.

The vendor, WiFi Salon, which won the contract from the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation in 2004 to wire 10 parks in four boroughs, including Central Park, quietly shutdown in October due to lack of financing and is in the process of removing equipment. The contract expired Sept. 30, and it wasn’t financially feasible for WiFi Salon to continue on its own.

For now, free Wi-Fi has ceased at seven formerly wired locations inside Central Park, two locations inside Prospect Park, and at Washington Square Park, Battery Park, Riverside Park, Van Cortlandt, Orchard Beach, Pelham Bay Park and Corona-Flushing Meadows.

Wi-Fi unplugged in city parks

This probably wasn't too much of a loss for Queens considering the coverage map for Flushing Meadows.