Worth a trip! If your family lives in Lower Manhattan, you probably already love this playground and all that Pier 25 has to offer.
This vast playground is spread out with several different play zones catering to all ages. The best features for big kids are the super-high spider web climbing structure, a long horizontal climbing wall, and a bank of swings that soar high. (What’s missing? A big-kid slide!) For little kids, we love the three-way bouncy spring-rider, the mini sailboat structure (that’s not much to climb but always leads to pretend sailing adventures with new crewmates), and the shady and protected row of baby swings. The large sandpit and variety of water spray features attract kids of all ages.
There are a few details that make us smile: the quirky toe-holds on the stand-alone climbing boulders, the small bronze sea creatures crawling near the sandpit, and the shady corner where the littlest kids ride on a cement frog. We also love the wall of benches in front of the splash pad where we may get splashed as we watch the kids get drenched by buckets of water. The views are great, too: One World Trade Center and panoramas of the Hudson River. There are plenty of benches that line the perimeter of the playground, but shade is limited.
What’s More? Near the playground, you will find so much more. Check out the skateboard park or kick a ball on the turf field. In good weather and/or seasonally, there is mini-golf (year-round, nominal fee), beach volleyball courts (for pre-teens and older), and free weekend arts and crafts, all run by Manhattan Youth. You can visit the historic steamship, Lilac, for tours and art exhibits. On the next pier, you can touch the Hudson River as you paddle a kayak for free, from May to October, offered by The Downtown Boathouse. There is an extensive line-up of free arts, recreation, and education activities offered throughout Hudson River Park, including summer Monday evenings at Pier 25 with kid-friendly music and performers.
This is one of four playgrounds within the Hudson River Park, a four-mile-long recreation space on the river, that twenty years ago was merely decaying piers and parking lots. It is separate from the New York City Park’s Department and receives no government funding for its operations. The Hudson River Park Playground Committee raises money and advocates specifically for the benefit of children’s spaces and activities within the Park. Private donations were critical for the redevelopment of Pier 25 after it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, only two years after it had first opened.
Safety/Visibility: At times I’ve held my breath and had to trust my child would not get lost or fall from a height very far out of my reach. The size and layout of the playground makes it nearly impossible to track multiple kids at once, especially with the long climbing wall blocking views. There are three exits with low gates, but I’ve never seen them left open. The ground around the play equipment is especially soft and newly repaired for the 2019 season. There can be a mix of older and younger kids running around and potentially knocking into each other, especially in the splash pad.
Bathroom Emergency? There are well-maintained public restrooms with a changing table just outside the main gate of the playground.
Snack Time/Coffee Break? You’ll find fast-food snack options (seasonally) at the two snack bars on the pier: hotdogs, pizza, fries, pretzels, and Blue Marble Ice Cream. For a sit-down meal or a snack with a glass of wine, City Vineyard is a short walk away on the next pier. There you will find kid-friendly outdoor seating and some food options with universal kid-appeal, but it’s not your typical post-playground stop. Come back another time without the kids to Grand Banks, the chic floating restaurant and cocktail bar near the far end of the playground’s pier. It may be best to pick up your healthy snacks and coffee in Tribeca before you cross over the highway to Hudson River Park.
Features: Little-kid slides, monkey bars, special climbing features, sandpit, baby swings, big-kid swings, universal access swings, water sprays, nearby snacks.
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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