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
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
X 28
"I like the bouncy things on the train and did you see how fast I was runnin?"
Sarah, nice that you should refer to homeless people whose circumstances you know nothing about as "bums".
ReplyDeleteDo you teach your kids that too? There are many many new Yorkers who are a few paychecks away from being homeless. Often all it takes is losing a job or a serious medical emergency.
Hopefully you will never be so unfortunate, lest some ignorant person label you as just a "bum"