The P.S. 19 community playground is open

The official opening of the revamped playground at P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street took place this past Tuesday morning.

There were several comments on the post about whether this playground will actually be open to the community (as billed) ...

The playground was open this morning at 8 a.m. (you enter on the 12th Street side) ... and there were several people inside...



For now, the sign promises community hours of 6-9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Those weekday hours will likely change after school ends for the summer next week...



Among other amenities, the playground features a synthetic turf field, a painted track, play equipment, a basketball court and an all-weather ping-pong table.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More details on the all-new playground coming to P.S. 19

New playground at P.S. 19 now ready for action

The official opening of the revamped playground at P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street took place yesterday morning.

As noted in the previous post on the renovation:

The playground will feature a synthetic turf field, a painted track, play equipment, trees, a garden area with an outdoor classroom, a green-roof gazebo, junior basketball, benches, game tables, student art and an outdoor ping-pong table.

It was designed as a green infrastructure playground, and will capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater each year.

The playground is open to the community until dusk, after school and on weekends and holidays — just not when in use by P.S. 19 or any of their after-school programs.



This all-new playground happened with funding by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and (now-former) City Council member Rosie Mendez in conjunction with the Trust for Public Land.


[Click on image for more detail]

Previously on EV Grieve:
More details on the all-new playground coming to P.S. 19

More details on the all-new playground coming to P.S. 19

[Photo by Steven]

Last Wednesday, we noted that renovations were underway on the playground behind P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street.

This came about via funding by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and (now-former) City Council member Rosie Mendez in conjunction with the Trust for Public Land.

Mary Alice Lee, director, NYC Playgrounds Program for the Trust for Public Land, shared more details about the project.

Working with landscape architects from Studio HIP, the Trust for Public Land engaged the P.S. 19 community — students and parents, teachers and staff — as well as local residents and members of the Sirovich Senior Center on 12th Street in a participatory design process last year.

Per Lee:

The playground will feature a synthetic turf field, a painted track, play equipment, trees, a garden area with an outdoor classroom, a green-roof gazebo, junior basketball, benches, game tables, student art and an outdoor ping-pong table.

It was designed as a green infrastructure playground, and will capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater each year.

Weather permitting, the work should be complete early this summer. The playground will be open to the community until dusk, after school and on weekends and holidays — just not when in use by P.S. 19 or any of their after-school programs.

And here's a look at the final plan...


[Click on image for more detail]

A new playground is coming to P.S. 19

[Photos by Steven]

Several readers pointed out that work started in late January on the playground behind P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street...





The project was announced more than a year ago to the school's community... here's more from a letter at the time (January 2017) from Principal Jacqueline Flanagan:

We are thrilled to announce that due to a generous grant from Council Member Rosie Mendez and the Trust for Public Land, the schoolyard at P.S. 19 will be getting a new playground. Starting this January, The Trust for Public Land and landscape architects will work with students, staff, parents and community members to design and build a new school and community playground on our schoolyard.

Established in 1972, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a nonprofit organization that is committed to bringing open space and recreational resources to communities underserved by parks. TPL’s NYC Playgrounds Program has created 66 new playgrounds in NYC over the past 20 years. In addition, TPL has led community design at another 123 schools participating in the former mayor’s Schoolyards to Playgrounds Initiative.

One of the unique features of TPL’s Playgrounds Program is that students, parents and community members design the new park. Previous playgrounds have included running tracks, basketball courts, artificial turf fields, trees, gardens, outdoor classrooms, game tables, water fountains, playground equipment and murals.

P.S. 15 (The Roberto Clemente School) on Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D was the recipient of a new playground in 2016.

Here's a photo of the completed playground...


[Maddalena Polletta/The Trust for Public Land]

No word on when the new playground at P.S. 19 is expected to be complete.