Stop By If You’re Nearby: Pearl Street Playground is great for families with little kids in the Financial District. And it’s another fun stopover playground in Lower Manhattan, especially for families on a visit to the Seaport District just across the street.
The playground equipment has many features that preschoolers will love. Even new walkers can explore the first set of platforms, which are only inches off the ground, and include the tiniest imaginable rock climbing wall and slides. There are two miniature roofed houses, one with a tiny table and benches inside, perfect for pretend play. The small, walled sandpit held six little kids digging at once when we were there. Plus, there are three baby swings. A second, mid-height climbing structure maxes out at about 5-feet high, so parents can always be close at hand. It has two rope net ladders, a hanging bridge and platforms, and a twisty slide. There are foot platforms to hop and jump across, connecting the lower play structure to the higher one. The equipment is designated for children ages 2 to 12. My four-year-old loves this playground, while my 7- and 9-year-olds make the best of it, with few challenges.
There are special design features that tell a story of the playground’s location and history. The most prominent and unique equipment feature is the thick nautical rope suspended inches off the ground for kids to walk across and practice balancing (with a guide rope overhead, if they can reach). Also nautical in theme are a decorative crow’s nest (not accessible to climb) and a working periscope, which my kids were amazed by. The sandbox and water spray area are convincingly shaped like an open oyster shell, with a silver pearl shooting up a high fountain of water. And, a windmill marks the top of the climbing structure -- a reference to the Dutch who set up New Amsterdam at the southern tip of Manhattan.
Visibility/Safety? The play equipment is clustered in one area, so keeping track of kids’ whereabouts is easy. One gated entrance remains closed, and a double fence with plantings in between is a barrier to busy Water Street. The flooring is specially designed to reflect the sun and absorb heat.
Bathroom Emergency? There is no public bathroom in the playground. A minute away is the grocery store, 55 Fulton Market, which has clean restrooms but no changing table. There is a Starbucks two blocks away.
Snack Time/Coffee Break? There are plenty of benches around the perimeter of the playground, plus one adult-sized picnic table and two mini ones for little kids. But, there is hardly any place to take a break from the sun. Aside from the grocery store and several fast-food options on Fulton St., there are other stops for treats nearby. For a good cup of coffee and pastries, R & R Coffee is two blocks up Fulton St. A few minute walk to Front St. in the Seaport District, there are two popular ice cream options: Van Leuven and Big Gay Ice Cream.
Features: Baby swings, slide, water spray, sandbox, benches, picnic tables, nearby coffee & snacks.
What’s More? A few minutes away is Imagination Playground at Burlig Slip, a nautical-themed playground with lots of water play, sand, and giant foam blocks for building. (Note: foam blocks are only available during limited, supervised times.)
Where Next? There are so many playgrounds to visit in Lower Manhattan – we’re off to the West Village next.
Gianna Abruzzo is a Brooklyn-born adventurer with nearly ten years of experience exploring playgrounds – in Lower Manhattan, around NYC, and in eleven more countries – with her three daughters. Gianna seeks to share a sense of community and pride in the places we play. Follow her on Instagram
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