NEW YORK - One-year-old Caleb appeared to be enjoying his first time in a sprinkler on Sunday. 

His mother Cielo Castanera says she was trying to keep the toddler cool at this park near the corner of Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn.

What You Need To Know


  • Cooling centers are open but have social distancing protocols in place 
  • The ‘Cool Streets‘ initiative will take over more than a dozen heat vulnerable neighborhoods in the city 
  • The city is urging New Yorkers to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees so they don’t overwhelm the system 


“It’s something new for him! And I think it’s just something nice for him to experience you know,” she said.

It’s one of the many ways people are getting through the sweltering summer heat.

North Elliot Place between Park Avenue and Flushing Avenue is one of more than a dozen city designated ‘Cool Streets.’

These tree shaded spaces in vulnerable neighborhoods are closed off to traffic and spray caps are added to fire hydrants.

“We rinse our cars off we ride through it, get some dirt off but we also cool down at the same time,” said one resident.

Cooling centers are also open across the city, but they will look a little different this year because of the pandemic.

Masks must be worn and people must stay six feet apart. It’s also encouraged to only use them if necessary.

“The best way is if you have an air conditioner already. Stay home. Set your air conditioner for 78 degrees but if you don’t have one please make yourself available to one of our ways to beat the heat,” said Andrew D’Amora, First Deputy Commissioner of NYC Emergency Management.

For many kids the best way to beat the heat is still a day at the park with the sprinklers running.

“You get to get wet and sometimes maybe you get to swim in them if they get like overflowed, and you get to meet new children,” said one child.

If you’d like to learn more about some of the city’s cooling options visit nyc.gov/beattheheat or call 311.