Stop By If You’re Nearby: At this bright and recently renovated playground we smiled at the surprising details: lots of apples, swaying grasses, unusual rope features, and more. If you are on the Lower East Side in Lower Manhattan, it’s a fun playground to check out.
Completely redesigned in 2017 with input from the community, the playground has structures for all ages, plus basketball courts, a small track, and a garden run by the adjacent elementary school.
The largest structure is for kids ages 5 to 12. It has several connected platforms and includes zigzagging monkey bars made of ropes rather than metal bars, as well as a rope suspension bridge that climbs to a platform with a twisty slide. These rope features are fun challenges for older kids to conquer. There are several activity boards built into the structure and underneath the platforms, such as a pretend clock with braille numbers and musical note chimes.
On the opposite side of the playground is a section for younger children that incorporates apples, vines, and stacked crates into the design for stepping, climbing, and balancing. There is also a low platform with a double slide and a bar for upside-down hanging. The barn with a farmer’s silhouette encourages pretend play.
Soaring leaf arches across the middle of the playground spraying down multiple streams of water, while an apple on the ground shoots water up.
The area for playground babies is in a separate gated section across a pathway. It has only a couple of play structures but offers an open, shaded, soft-padded space for new and learning walkers to safely explore. Next to the baby area are a few swings: two each for little-kids and big-kids, and one universal swing.
What’s More? The playground is named after a community activist who organized youth sports programs in the neighborhood in the 1960s. The Playground’s renovation was part of the NYC Parks Department Community Parks Initiative, to improve under-resourced parks in densely populated and growing neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty.
Thumbs up to the added feature of a water fountain that includes a water-bottle filler! We need more of these at playgrounds.
Snack Time/Coffee Break? There are a couple of picnic tables within the main playground, as well as some shaded benches, to take a break for a snack. There is a C.V.S. pharmacy across the street for any quick needs. One block away on Grand St. we visited the quiet and cozy Ost Cafe (open until 3 P.M.) to take out a coffee and croissant. A few doors down, Alphonso’s Pizzeria Trattoria looks nice to sit down for a slice of pizza.
Visibility/Safety: The play equipment is new and in great shape, and the ground surface is soft and smooth. It may not be so easy to keep track of multiple kids in this playground, however. The swings and toddler area are separated from the main playground by a walkway. There are two exits from the main playground: one leading to the basketball courts and the other to a walkway that leads out of the playground. The gates were not secured when we visited.
Bathroom Emergency? There is a restroom with a changing table within the playground.
Features: Slides, baby swings, big swings, universal swing, monkey bars, water sprays, special climbing features, picnic tables, nearby snacks.
Gianna Abruzzo is a Brooklyn-born mom who has raised 3 girls on the playgrounds of Lower Manhattan. To celebrate and support parks, she created a collection of embroidered, iron-on patches to wear with pride. Shop here, and follow her on Instagram.
