Politics & Government

Mayor Gets Last Workout At Park Slope YMCA Before Gym Closures

The mayor's visit unfolded as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced all gyms will be closed Monday at 8 p.m. to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday apparently made what could be his last visit to Park Slope YMCA in a long time.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday apparently made what could be his last visit to Park Slope YMCA in a long time. (Nicholas Rizzi/Patch)

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Mayor Bill de Blasio apparently got one last sweat in at his beloved Park Slope YMCA before gyms statewide close in an effort to stop the new coronavirus' spread.

Hizzoner's motorcade was photographed Monday outside the Ninth Street Y, and a CNN reporter managed to ask the mayor a few questions.

"De Blasio just refused to comment to me if he worked out at the YMCA," Andrew Kaczynski wrote on Twitter.

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The mayor's gym trip unfolded as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his New Jersey and Connecticut counterparts announced they'd be closing gyms Monday at 8 p.m. over COVID-19 concerns.

Find out what's happening in Park Slopefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

That struck many people online as, at best, bad timing for de Blasio. Or, worse, a potential health hazard amid an outbreak.

"We have such a selfish, irresponsible mayor," wrote @gilmored85. "We’re supposed to stay home and he goes off to the gym—in his (f---ing) SUV no less."

The mayor's office released a statement about the trip.

"The YMCA has been a huge part of his and his family's life, like it has been for a lot of New Yorkers," the statement read. "It's clear that's about to change and before that, the mayor wanted to visit a place that keeps him grounded one last time."

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