Stop by if you’re nearby! Here you’ll find the bow of a ship, a wooden choo-choo train, and the City’s iconic water towers marking the play structures for different age groups at this well-loved neighborhood playground in Tribeca. A great time to visit is during one of the many community events held here, like the upcoming Christmas party with a visit from Santa.
The 20-year-old wooden and red metal playground spans a long, narrow, shady side of the park. It is divided into three separate age-specific play structures, each with connecting platforms, vertical climbs, and slides.
The elevated play structure for toddlers is anchored by the bow and mast of the S.S. Fun Ship and is built on top of a sandpit. There is plenty of space for exploring the platforms on top and digging for treasures underneath and around them. Tandem slides are just high enough for toddlers to pick up some speed and race a friend down. There are easy, shallow steps for the littlest walkers to get up to the platforms and a small climbing wall and chain ladder for those ready for more of a challenge.
In the next area, for mid-sized kids, the connecting platforms step up progressively to the highest spot about six feet tall, from which a spiral slide descends. There are a few vertical climbing options to get up to the top and mid-height, wide, shallow slide to get down. The space under the platforms gets plenty of use for hideouts and hangouts. On the adjacent three-car wooden train, my kids have taken me on adventures throughout the City and around the world.
Separating the middle and eldest kids’ play areas by quite a distance is a long, asphalt lot with a few water spray features, including a high vertical spray, a stream, and a metal water wheel.
Our favorite spot is by the iconic water towers on the platforms atop the highest climbing structure. There are views north across the entire playground, to the east over the high fence into Tribeca, and to the south looking up to the top of One World Trade Center. On this long, straight, stretch of high platforms, which are too high for this mom to reach, kids can sprint from end-to-end. To get up there, there are multiple staircases and vertical climbs. The twisty slide is the fastest way down. There are two slanted chain ladders that are a challenge to climb up and a popular spot for hanging out upside down. The monkey bars are so high off the ground that many kids can only reach them by making a daring maneuver from the chain ladder to reach them. Although this structure is very high off the ground, the stairs make it accessible to kids of all ages, so both preschoolers and older kids often share this section.
Visibility/Safety? It is easy to lose track of a child in this playground, and the overall design is not as cushioned as new playgrounds. The play structures are far apart from each other, so it is impossible to keep an eye on kids in different sections. The playground is not securely gated from the larger park it’s in, so a child is unimpeded from moving from one play area to the next or out into the larger park. The entire park is surrounded by a tall fence and there are only two entrances; however, the main gate is always open and is not visible from inside the playground. Happily, there are no plastic climbing structures here; on the flip side, there is plenty of concrete, stone, and asphalt. The rubberized flooring is not as springy as the safety tiles we typically see. In the toddler section, two of the platforms are wide open to a several-foot drop.
Bathroom Emergency? Within the park, there are well-maintained restrooms with a changing table.
Snack Time/Coffee Break? There are benches and lots of concrete ledges to sit on around the perimeter of the playground. Between the playground and a grassy lawn, there are several picnic tables. Nearby in Tribeca are plenty of places to pick up lunch or a snack. Within about a block of the park, you’ll find four spots for gourmet coffee and sweets: Duane Park Patisserie, Laughing Man Coffee, Jack’s Stir Brew, and Joe and the Juice. TeaSteps from the playground are frozen treats from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Downtown Yogurt and Ice Cream. There is a Farmers’ Market at the park’s entrance on Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round.
Features: Slides, monkey bars, water sprays, sandbox, special climbing structures, shade, benches, picnic tables, bathrooms, nearby coffee & snacks.
What’s More? Within the Park, there is a community garden, a butterfly garden, a large grassy lawn, and a gazebo that is a cute spot to host birthday parties. In a separate section, there are tennis and basketball courts. Tribeca community members fought to establish the community-run park more than 40 years ago when there was no nearby greenspace and the area was slated to become a Department of Transportation parking lot. Although it has been under NYC Parks Department since 1999, the community continues to play a significant role in its programming and upkeep. The nonprofit Friends of Washington Market Park raises funds to provide free public events and supports park restoration and improvements. More information can be found here.
Gianna Abruzzo is a Brooklyn-born mom of three daughters living in Lower Manhattan. You can find her family downtown and around town, exploring new playgrounds, treat spots, and NYC’s diverse arts and culture. She is the creator of Our Play Patches. Follow her on Instagram. Follow her on Instagram.
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