Frederick Douglass Playground

100th and Amsterdam

The girls and I come to this park when are tired of the "regulars."  Located above the new Columbus Square, this playground has all the classics (swings, monkey bars).  One of my favorite aspects is the wide space between jungle gyms, perfect for playing tag or practicing scooter skills.  Since the park is attached to a basketball court, a soccer field, and a handball court there is plenty of people traffic.  The lack of benches makes it hard to find a place to put your things down, but the proximity to the library (half a block!) really makes up for it.  There's nothing like going straight from the swings to a good story time.

Highlights

• Camel Statue  • Near the Library

Lowlights

• Not Enough Benches

What It's Got

• 4 Swings • 4 Baby Swings (Separate) • Camel Statue • 2 Jungle Gyms (Medium and Tot) • 5 Slides • Monkey Bars • Hard-Rubber/Pavement Ground • Basketball Court • Handball Court • Pool (So Tiny) •Soccer Field • Bathrooms Inside Park • Trashcans • 1 Entrance

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• Not Enough Benches • No Blindspots • 1/2 Shaded

Nearby

 • Library On 100th Between Columbus and Amsterdam • Across the street from several bodegas, Associate Supermarket 

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

"I just love the monkey bars."

Annie:  X 18

"Swings!!!"

Dino Park (Riverside Park)

97th St. and Riverside Drive (Riverside Park)

Dino Park is another one of our "regulars."  Located North of Hippo and inside Riverside Park, this playground is a wonderful place to spend the day.  The oval-shaped, separated sprinkler section is a great place to let the little ones practice their scooter skills.  The water puddles in the middle so bring your water shoes and prepare to splash!  And trust me, I speak from experience.  I went barefoot one time and was stung by a bee.  That was over a year ago and the girls are still talking about it.  The two big jungle gyms are fun for the older crowd, but be close by for the younger ones who insist on keeping up.  Some of the ladder step gaps are a little too wide for my liking. Because the park is two-tiered and surrounded by benches, every now and then I'll notice some "non-kid adults" on their lunch breaks.  Never a problem, but always good to note.  Overall, the shaded oasis offers it all, from sprinklers to sand to swings.  My biggest problem is how high the gymnast rings are.  It's quite the work out to repeatedly lift up a seven year old.  And that, my fellow park hoppers, is one of the best kinds of problems to have.

Highlights

• Awesome Sprinkler Section •Almost All Shade

Lowlights

• Two Levels • Some Non-Kid Adults

What It's Got

• 3 Swings • 3 Baby Swings • 3 Jungle Gyms (2 Large, 1 Tot) • 6 Slides • Gymnast Rings (Really High) • 2 Dinosaurs • 2 Sandboxes (Fenced) • 2 Shower Sprinklers (Fenced) • Monkey Bars • Rickety Bridge • Trashcans • Pavement •Bathrooms Inside the Park

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 2-3 Entrances (1 on the lower level, for handicap/strollers) • Plenty of Benches • All Shaded (Except the Sprinklers) • Lots of Blindspots (two-levels) 

Nearby

• Gourmet Garage on 97th and Broadway 

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi:  

"I like it because it has sculptures of dinosaurs."

Annie:  X 28 

"I liked that I got to touch a caterpillar and the swings are really 'intint', that means they are round like a moon, super big, and go really high."

Diana Ross Playground

81st and Central Park West

Annie loves going to the Hayden Planetarium.  Seriously, I've seen Journey to the Stars at least 30 times.  Afterward we make our way across the street for a little tire swing relaxation at the Diana Ross Playground.  Made mostly out of wood and metal, this playground has an old-school feel.  The girls and I like to play follow the leader, hopping from one wooden block to the next. When that gets old we'll try to dig a hole to China in the sandbox. The park can get really crowded due to its proximity to the museum, so make sure to keep your belongings close.

Highlights

• Tire Swings

Lowlights

• Tourists

What It's Got

• 4 Baby Swings • 2 Tire Swings • Huge Jungle Gym • Monkey Bars • Bridges • Wooden Climbing Blocks • 4 Slides • Non-Working Water Fountain • Sand and Hard-Rubber Ground

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• Shade Around Edges (But Not Enough) • One Entrance • Benches Around Edges (But Always Crowded) • Closest Bathroom Either the Hayden Planetarium (5 minute walk) or the Delacorte Theater (3 minute walk, right before to the Great Lawn)

Nearby

• Museum of Natural History • Shake Shack

Ratings (out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

Annie:  X 28

"I like the tire swing when it spins a lot on medium."

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: