Parks photographer

Who he is: Daniel Avila is the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation’s agency photographer. Since joining the department in 2005, he’s captured everything from wild coyotes (his images are the only official ones ever snapped of Hal, the notorious Central Park beast) to Billy Joel performing at Shea Stadium.

How he landed the gig: “I was browsing Craigslist of all places,” laughs Avila. “I just applied like anyone else.” And voilà, he gets to spend his workdays among the city’s most relaxing spots.

His first memorable shoot: Just prior to the aforementioned coyote capture, Avila received his inaugural assignment: an inspection of the High Bridge, a mid-1800s landmark that was part of the Old Croton Aqueduct, NYC’s earliest water-delivery conduit. “It was amazing to be in there and walk from end to end,” recalls Avila. “It was one of those places I never thought I’d ever have access to. And I love antique structures, so being there really made me feel lucky to have such a job.”

Parks you should visit: Avila suggests heading to the outer boroughs for truly undervalued gems, like Staten Island’s Conference House Park. “It takes forever to get to,” he admits, “but it’s on the water, and it has Conference House,” which was a meeting spot for Ben Franklin and John Adams. He also recommends Lemon Creek Park as well as Brooklyn’s Sunset Park for its “great view of downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. And it’s on a hill, so you can even see the Statue of Liberty.”

Best overlooked Central Park spot: “In the north, there’s the Blockhouse, which is one of two buildings that actually predate the park.”

How his coworkers are like Amy Poehler: “I see the amount of work that goes into projects. I see how many people actually care and want to see good things for the city and good things for the agency. I think everyone in the Parks Department really cares about parks.”

The drawbacks: Sometimes, the isolation from conventional nine-to-five life makes it hard for friends and peers to understand that Avila’s job is more than just a salaried nature retreat. “When I tell people what I do, they just think I walk around and take pictures of parks all day,” he says. And like the rest of us, he still has to navigate mundane workplace chores. “When there’s nothing going on or the weather’s bad, I’m in the office handling requests from different departments within the agency.”

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