Tudor Grove Playground

42nd st Between 1st & 2nd Avenue (Southside)

The trick to avoiding the stairs of Tudor Grove Playground is to enter from 41st st, make a left onto Tudor City Pl, and the entrance will be right after the garden.  Once we entered the park and plopped our belongings on a bench we got to work.  In this playground's case, work didn't take long.  With only one tot-sized jungle gym Lexi quickly deemed this playground "for little kids."  I convinced her to stay a little longer with a game of hide and seek (or as Annie likes to say "hide and sneak!"). The plethora of shade and the pleasant quietness of the park is something to appreciate.  However, if you have big kids you'll find yourself struggling to keep them entertained.

Highlights
• All Shaded

Lowlights
• Tots Only


What It's Got
• 1 Jungle Gym (Tots) • Tic Tac Toe • 2 Slides • Chain Climbing Fence • Hard-Rubber Tile/Pavement • Trashcans


What Parents/Nannies Should Know
• 1 Entrance (Accesible from Tudor Place or from 42nd st Stairs) • Benches All Around • No Blindspots


Nearby
• Grand Central Station (Great Food Court) • U.N • East River

Ratings: (out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"It's nice and shady but this is for little kids. Like Annie."

Annie:  X18 

"I like playing hide and sneak behind the trees!"

Mary O'Connor Playground

42nd st between 1st & 2nd Ave (Northside)

Mary O'Connor Playground was hard to find.  The girls and I walked down 42nd st toward First Avenue and almost bumped into the U.N before noticing the set of stairs leading up to the playground.  "I think that's it." Lexi said, pointing up.  "Up there?" was Annie's doubtful response.  She eyed the set of steps like most four-year olds: with the contempt of someone who not too long ago would be whisked up and carried to the top without taking a step.  "My legs hurt already!" she famously added.  I grabbed the scooters and gave the old heave-ho and together we climbed the steps.  We were greeted by a playground surrounded by buildings and trees, a shady oasis on a hot summer day.  The jungle gym was large, the play space was not.  Lexi couldn't reach the monkey bars or gymnast rings, not even if she tried shimmying up the pole, so we mostly spent our time on the swings.  After awhile a group of preschoolers came and clogged the entire area.  The girls grew bored quickly and soon Lexi asked "Are you ready to keep hopping?"

Highlights
• All Shaded


Lowlights
• Stairway Entrance • Lots of Preschool Kids


What It's Got
• 2 Swings (Separate Area) • 1 Jungle Gym • Gymnast Rings (Very High) • Monkey Bars (Very High) • "Telephone" Speakers • Rickety Bridge • 1 Slide • Trashcans • Hard-Rubber Tile/Pavement


What Parents/Nannies Should Know
• Stairway Entrance • 1 Entrance • Benches All Around • All Shaded


Nearby
• Grand Central Station (Great Food Court) • U.N • East River

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"I wish the monkey bars were lower but I like how it's very shady here."

Annie:  X 18

"I like talkin in those speaking things."

Hell's Kitchen Playground

47th-48th st and 10th Avenue

The Hell's Kitchen Playground is the perfect example as to why the girls and I park hop: to find gems.  The Hell's Kitchen Playground is a playground gem.  My only regret is my lack of pictures.  I don't know where the rest went, and I'm sorry that I can only show you a miniscule portion of this awesome place.  The space is divided into three sections; the big jungle gym, the center common space, and the tot's section.  The center space draws a lot of non-kid adults, but these people are neighborhood locals reading the paper or listening to the radio.  There are several signs posted near the jungle gyms asking for adults without children to stay out of the play area and for the most part people comply.  The big kid's jungle gym is an awesome combination of small monkey bars (for Annie-sized kids) and large monkey bars (for Lexi-sized kids).  With ladders attached to most of the climbing equipment your children can reach without you having to squat and lift every few minutes.  Even though the sky was threatening to dump rain on us at any moment the playground was still bustling with people/kids.  I can't tell you enough how great this playground is for all ages.  If you find yourself in Hell's Kitchen, this is the place to visit.  

Highlights

• Awesome Monkey Bars (Various Levels) • Kid's Picnic Tables

Lowlights

• Non-Kid Adults

What It's Got

• Chess Tables • Kid-Sized Picnic Tables • Sprinklers • Handball/Basketball Courts • 2 Jungle Gyms (Tots separate) • 2 Slides • 2 Baby Swings • 3 Swings • 1 Handicap Swing • 2 Chain Ladders • Monkey Bars (Low, With Ladder) • Low Gymnast Rings • High Gymnast Rings (With Ladder) • Swinging Balance Beam • Rickety Balance Beam • Working Water Fountain (With Kid Step) • Hard-Rubber Tile/Pavement

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 1 Entrance • 60% Shaded • Plenty of Benches • Non-Kid Adults (Posted Signs Encouraging Adults Without Children to Stay Toward the Middle)

Nearby

• Shake Shack • Intrepid Air & Space Museum

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"I can't believe I could make it across those monkey bars!  They are so tall!"

Annie:  X28

"I was doin the monkey bars all by myself! Can we come back here tomorrow?"

Ramon Aponte Playground

47th st Between 8th and 9th Avenue (Closer to 9th)

The Ramon Aponte Playground is not so much a playground as it is a hang out for professionals on lunch break in midtown.  With only one dinky jungle gym and a desolate sprinkler area (this one hadn't been turned on in ages, the switch box was covered in dust and leaves, the playground is verging on pathetic.  The girls and I still made the best of the space, turning the small jungle gym into our fairy fort.  In order to "enter" you must fly around the fort three times and you MUST flap your wings or it doesn't count.  We didn't mind the lunchbreak crowd until a few started smoking, then we grabbed our belongings and hopped to the next park.

Highlights
• No Blindspots


Lowlights
• ALL Non-Kid Adults (Including Smokers)


What It's Got
• 1 Jungle Gym • 1 Slide • Firepole • Non-Working Sprinkler • Basketball Court • 2 Water Fountains • Trashcans • Hard-Rubber Tile (Peeling)/Pavement


What Parents/Nannies Should Know
• 1 Entrance • 60% Shade • Plenty of Benches • No Blindspots • ALL Non-Kid Adults (Including Smokers)


Nearby
• The Intrepid Air and Space Museum

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi:  

"It's kinda small, but nice and quiet too."

Annie:  X 18

"I like the twirly pole a lot a lot."

Matthew Palmer Playground

45th st Between 9th and 10th Avenue

When the girls and I stumbled across the Matthew Palmer Playground we collectively shouted "whoa!"  The train pictured above is by far the most unique piece of playground equipment I've seen so far.  Handpainted, huge, and full of teeter totters, seats, and climbing steps, the train can provide hours of entertainment.  There is a "normal" jungle gym in the playground but it might as well have been invisible because we paid it no attention.  I set the bags down and the girls set off on a runaway train adventure.  And that's when I started to notice my surroundings.  On a few of the benches lining the park were sleeping homeless people.  One man got up, took his shoes off, and proceeded to bath in the shower sprinklers.  I felt so torn.  Here is one of the coolest playgrounds we've come across and now I didn't feel safe.  Not that the man looked like he was going to cause us trouble, but you just never know.  I called Lexi over and quietly told her we had to leave.  She asked me why and I explained that when you get an uneasy feeling in your stomach you should listen to it.  Annie was not so easy to convince, but since Lexi was already on board she went without too much fuss. 

Highlights

• Awesome Train • Motorcycle Teeter-Totters 

Lowlights

•  Homeless People 

What It's Got

• Shower Sprinklers • Awesome Train • Teeter-Totter Motorcycles • 2 Jungle Gyms (1 Tots Separate) • 2 Slides • Gymnast Rings • Rickety Bridge • Firepole • 4 Baby Swings • Chess Tables (With No Chairs) • Hard Rubber Tile/Pavement • Trashcans • 2 Levels (Botton level has handball and basketball court)

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 2 Entrances/Levels • All Shaded • Bathrooms Inside Playground • Benches Around Most Of Park • Blindspots Behind Train • Non-Kid Adults (and a lot of homeless people)

Nearby

• Five Napkin Burger

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

(I would honestly give this a higher score if not for all the bums)

Lexi: 

"That train is so cool! I wish we could stay here."

Annie:  X 28

"I like the bouncy things on the train and did you see how fast I was runnin?"

Holcombe Rucker Playground

155th and 8th Avenue

Located on the far Eastside of Manhattan, you can see Yankee's Stadium from Holcombe Rucker playground.  I like this playground because it has all the basics: Monkey Bars, Swings, Sprinkler.  The area is spacious and the bathroom in the vicinity is a plus.  The hard-rubber tiles are curling around the edges so be careful while playing running games (or if your with some new walkers).  The playground is located next to the Rucker's Basketball courts.  While we were there they were setting up for a night game, with announcers and all.  If you've never watched a streetball game in NYC than you are missing out.  The one problem that comes with the popular courts is the surplus of non-kid adults and litter.  

Highlights

• Bathrooms in Park • Next to Rucker's Basketball Courts

Lowlights

• Some Non-Kid Adults

What It's Got

• 6 Swings • 4 Baby Swings • Shower Sprinkler • Seal Statue • 3 Jungle Gyms • 7 Slides • Monkey Bars • 3 Rickety Bridges • Hard-Rubber Tile (Old and Curling)

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 60% Shaded • Plenty of Benches • Lots of Blindspots • Bathrooms in Park • 2 Entrances • Some Litter • Some Non-Kid Adults

Nearby

• Rucker's Basketball Courts

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"I like this place because they have swings.  Finally!"

Annie:  X 28 

"I like the seal and the swings."