Robert Moses Playground

41st-42nd st & 1st Avenue

Robert Moses Playground is lacking in the "playground" department.  Only a road away from the East River, the location is great but the equipment is lacking.  We schlepped over from 42nd st, scooters, backpacks, sun hats and all, only to find an empty hockey court (is it a rink if it's pavement?).  Upon further inspection we found a fairly clean bathroom and an empty basketball court but for my two monkey bar addicts there was "nothing here."  There are two things to do in this situation: invent a game to play or hop to the next park.  The girls and I decided to play "line tag," a game where you must stay on the painted lines of the basketball court and move as quickly as you can away from whomever is "it."  We also came prepared with sidewalk chalk so we drew our own hopscotch and spent a good amount of time perfecting our in-park hopping skills.  The moral of the Robert Moses Playground is that although a seemingly empty space can look oh-so-boring at first glance, take a second look and you might find yourself inventing all new ways to play. 

Highlights

• East River/U.N View

Lowlights

• No Jungle Gyms

What It's Got

• Basketball Court • Handball Court • Hockey Court • Bathrooms • Dog Park

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 40% Shaded

Nearby

• U.N • St. Vartan Playground

Ratings: (out of 5)

Sarah:  

Lexi: 

"There's nothing here!"

Annie:  

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."

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."

McCaffery Playground

43rd st between 7th and 8th Avenue (closer to 8th)

We went to the McCaffery Playground after checking out the Harry Potter Exhibit in Times Square (pretty cool if you have any Potter fans).  The playground was almost empty but I attribute this to the lunchtime hour.  The equipment is relatively new and unique.  Annie loved the monkey bar bridges because she could use them as low-level hanging bars. Lexi, on the other hand, was a little bored with the lack of "real" monkey bars.  The playground reminds me of that article in the New York Times, "Can a Playground Be Too Safe?". The jungle gyms were a few feet shorter than the older models and although Annie thrived in the setting, Lex abandoned most of the equipment and spent her time on the swings.  Because the playground is close to Times Square, a lot of non-kid-business-type-adults use the space as a place to eat lunch so make sure to keep a close eye on your belongings and your children.

Highlights

• Funhouse Mirror

Lowlights

• Broken Chain Climbing Net • Some Non-Kid Adults

What It's Got

• Sprinklers • 2 Jungle Gyms (1 Large, 1 Tots) • Funhouse Mirror • 4 Swings • 2 Baby Swings • 2 Slides • (2) Monkey Bar Bridge • Climbing Ropes • Hopscotch • Spiny Thing • Chain Climbing Net (Broken) • "Telephone" Speaker •Basketball Court • Trashcans • Working Water Fountain • Hard-Rubber Tile (Built into the ground)

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 1 Entrance • Bathroom Inside Playground • Benches/Stadium Seating • Two Levels • No Blindspots (If you sit in the middle) • Half Shaded • Some Non-Kid Adults

Nearby

• Shake Shack

Ratings: (out of 5)

Sarah:  

Lexi: 

"It's nice, but it'd be more funner if it had monkey bars."

Annie:  X 28 

"I can hang upside down!"

Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground

150th and 7th Avenue (West Side)

The girls and I were excited for the Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground because we love the name.  There's something about the word "Bojangles" that makes us giggle, like it is name of a circus mouse. The playground is fairly new and has a lot of unique equipment.  We loved the town storefronts (they have a mail slot!) which were perfect for a game of ice cream scooping.  The monkey bars were also easy for Annie to hold on to (with a little boost) and Lex spent a good amount of time hanging upside down.  The biggest flaw, and perhaps the downfall, of the playground is the ZERO shade.  There is no way to escape the brutal sun.  And with no water fountain to fill up our bottles, we didn't last long.

Highlights

• "Town" Storefronts

Lowlights

• NO Shade

What It's Got

• Jungle Gym • 3 Slides • Unique Monkey Bars • "Town" Storefronts • Rickety Bridge • Trashcans • Hard-Rubber Tile • Basketball Court • NO Water Fountain

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• NO Shade • 1 Entrance • No Blindspots • Benches Around Half the Playground

Nearby

• 148th St Station (3 Train)

Ratings: (out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"I love those monkey bars but I'm sweaty!"

Annie"  X18

" I like the windows because I can sell ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate."

Frederick Johnson Playground

150-151st st and 7th Avenue

Whenever I get into a conversation about park hopping I am often asked "aren't you scared to go to some of those places?"  The answer is no, I'm not scared.  Mostly because I've got a good head on my shoulders and know better than to go places that aren't safe.  If we ever arrive at a park that gives me a funny feeling, we leave right away.  That being said, Frederick Johnson Playground is an example of how wrong you can be about places.  Wedged between a school and government houses, this playground is not a place the girls would ever get the chance to visit if it wasn't for our adventure.  The playground is more of a park, with chess tables and benches full of people chatting on phones or eating lunch.  In one corner a group of teenage girls practiced a dance routine, providing me hours of entertainment (why can't I dance like that??). And the girls had a blast.  They made friends and played some sort of cross between house and tag.  The concrete cylinders were also a lot of fun.  Annie wanted to climb up all by herself and then (with my assistance) jump down roughly a billion times.

Highlights

• Concrete Cylinders

Lowlights

• Multiple Entrances • Non-Kid Adults • Litter

What It's Got

• 2 Jungles Gyms (Both Tots) • Concrete Cylinders • 4 Slides • Sprinklers • Tennis Court • Trashcans • Hard-Rubber Tile/Pavement • Chess Tables • Camel

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• Multiple Entrance • Non-Kid Adults • All Shaded • Litter • Plenty of Benches • Some Blindspots

Nearby

• Deli Across the Street 

Ratings: (out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"This park has two F's- friends and fun!!"

Annie:  X 28

"I like the camel because we can pretend to feed him apples and sunflowers."