Hippo Park (Riverside Park) Upper West Side

91st and Riverside Drive (down the hill and to the left)  Upper West Side

I have a special place in my heart for Hippo Park because it was my first NYC playground.  This is the neighborhood "go to" park and I've "gone to" it about a billion times.  Surrounded by a giant hill (also a popular sledding spot in the winer), the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and the Hudson River, this playground is  in the ideal "nook" location.  The scariest part of the park is the curving monkey bars, I've actually heard a rumor that a kid died while climbing them.  I don't know if this is true, but take my advice and spot the most novice of monkey bar-ers.  Also, kids love jumping from rock to rock in the sandbox.  This is very, very scary at first, especially since the rocks are sandy and slippery.  However, kids generally fall into the sandbox or not at all so don't pull your hair out too much.  They'll get the hang of it quickly.

Highlights

• The hippos!

Lowlights

• Lots of blind spots  

• Dirty bathrooms

What It's Got

• 2 jungle gyms • 6 slides • Baby swings (in a separate area) • Swings • 1 handicap swing • Monkey bars • Gymnast rings • Hippos • Sprinklers (in hippos and rocks) • Sandbox surrounded by rocks • Teeter-totters • 2 picnic tables • Water fountain right outside the park • Ground is pavement and soft rubber

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• TONS of shade • Bathroom right outside the park • Only one entrance/exit • Fenced garden areas (you're not supposed to enter but kids love hiding in the bushes and walking on the mulch) • Plenty of benches, but come at the end of a school day and you'll have trouble finding a spot

Eating Options

If you didn't pack snacks/a lunch, your best bet is to walk to Broadway.  There's is a pizza place right on 92nd.  There's also an Ollie's, a Subway, and a grocery store with a 4 block radius of 91st and Broadway.

Additional Pics

 

River Run Playground (Riverside Park)

93rd and Riverside (down the hill)

For the kids: 

-Lots of swings, baby swings, and 1 handicap swing

-River through the middle

-shower sprinkler at the top of the river

-1 large playground

-3 slides

-awesome sandbox (but the ledges are too tall)

-trashcans

-1 baby playground (with a mini slide)

-3 see-saw

-working water fountain

For me:

-semi-blindspot behind the swings. (Also the shadiest part)

-very little shade

-bathrooms inside the park

-1 entrance

-1 picnic table

-plenty of benches'

See-saws!  Wow!  What a rare playground find!  Not all kids like the bump-and-push of the see-saw, but the ones who do are hooked.  The girls and I go to River Run mostly because of the see-saw. River Run is part of the elongated Riverside Park.  Since the Upper West Side is our homebase, River Run one of our "regulars."  The river running through the middle provides hours of fun, even if it only means your baby is occupied with the constant flow of water.  The main playground is big and full of nooks.  I've seen many kids sit below the playground and sort through each others toys or compare trading cards.  Although I love what the park offers, there is not nearly enough shade where you need it.  The picnic table is shaded and a good place to settle down for some packed lunch.  If you want, there is always a hot dog/ice cream vendor outside the park gates, but in my experience the ice cream always has freezer burn.  You're better off walking 10 minutes to Broadway and finding an icey lady or a Mr. Softees on the corner.  The sandbox is really well done, but the ledges are too high to sit on and help with a sandcastle so be prepared to sit in the sand and get dirty. The park is clean, the toilets are not so clean.  Also, the toilets don't have lid/covers which can be very difficult for an unsupervised child.  But you should know (as I'm sure you do)--any bathroom is better than no bathroom.

(Out of 5)

Sarah:

Lexi:

Annie: