Stop by if you’re nearby! Though this Lower Manhattan playground has only one play structure to explore, it is a gathering place for community events for families of all ages. And a summertime bonus? There is a small, shallow, city-run pool that is perfect for children.
The centerpiece of the playground is a long stretch of interconnected, crisscrossing platforms and ramps that ascend to about 5 feet high. There are several entry points to the platforms at different heights: straight ladders from two-rungs to five-rungs, tall and mini fire poles, a tall slide, and two small slides. Little kids run back-and-forth along the platforms, navigating new pathways from bottom to top. There are a few spots for a short pause to play with a steering wheel, a game of tic-tac-toe, and musical chimes.
We love the dozens of metal posts (noticing the red posts are round and the turquoise posts are square) holding up the structure and creating a maze underneath it. It would be a great challenge to count them all!
There are also swings (four for babies and four for big kids) in a separate area. There is plenty of open blacktop space to play team games or push toddler toys. Water jets spray out of a wall and from the ground during the summer. The entrance to the three-foot-deep “mini” pool is located within the playground, and it is reserved for children and their caregivers. There is a separate handball and basketball court in the southeast corner of the playground.
Visibility/Safety? There is a clear view from one side of the playground to the other, though you could briefly lose track of kids on top of the platforms. The tall gates at opposite ends of the playground have always been securely closed when we have visited. The ground under the play structure is padded; but, the remainder of the playground is blacktop and granite pavers, and we have witnessed a couple of scraped hands and knees from falls.
Bathroom Emergency? Within the playground, there is a restroom with a changing table.
Snack Time/Coffee Break? There are many benches, as well as two picnic tables and a few chess and backgammon tables to set down a snack. The quickest option is Ben’s Pizza, a decent slice joint just across the street. A 30+-year-old Italian sandwich shop, Alidoro, just beyond the Sullivan St. entrance, is where I’ll be stopping next. From the Playground, you can see around the corner to the line that forms down the block for Dominque Ansel Bakery’s latest famous creations, such as the Cronut and Chocolate Chip Cookie Shot. Birdbath Bakery is a block away on Prince St., located in the former Vesuvio Bakery shop, which is the origin of the playground’s name.
Features: Slides, baby swings, big-kid swings, water sprays, shade, benches, picnic tables, bathrooms, nearby coffee & snacks.
What’s More: The playground was originally constructed in 1934, and the neighborhood’s family-run Vesuvio Bakery had been there for even longer. The last of the family owners were very active in the local community from the 1950s on, and the playground was renamed in his honor in the 1990s. Friends of Vesuvio Playground is a member of Green Below 14, a nonprofit that is active in bringing improvements and programming to three downtown playgrounds. Recent events include twice-yearly It’s My Park Days with clean-up, planting, and family activities; an October SoHo Block Party with activities held inside the Playground including arts and crafts, music, and a girls’ basketball clinic; and the May Day of Play with a basketball clinic, STEM activities, and Imagination Playground blocks. More information can be found HERE.
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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