Concerns about some basic playground amenities in Tompkins Square Park

The playground along Avenue A and Ninth Street in Tompkins Square Park has seen better days.

For starters, there's just a dusting of sand on the sandbox surface... which, at this point, resembles a cement bunker, and certainly not the first time ... (Thanks to Choresh Wald for the following 3 playground photos)

Meanwhile, the synthetic turf on the playground is peeling and cracked, creating potential tripping hazards...

We've talked with several parents/parkgoers who remain frustrated with the shoddy conditions in and around Tompkins... made worse with the field house renovations happening through the fall of 2024 that have closed the mini pool for two summers ... and the good times of the three porta potties.

The Tompkins Square playgrounds along Avenue B and Seventh Street were revamped in recent years (2019).

The playgrounds are back open in Tompkins Square Park

The ballfield/TF and playgrounds in Tompkins Square Park are back open. Workers unlocked them on Friday morning, then locked them up again later in the day. Signage then arrived stating the areas would be closed until today for painting and cleaning.





Meanwhile, the playgrounds are open... and signage points out that the city is not sterilizing the equipment...


[Photo by Steven]

Also, the basketball courts are open, though the rims are still MIA. The dog run remains closed.

A visit to the new Tompkins Square Playground featuring equipment for kids with special needs

Photos and text by Stacie Joy

The revamped Tompkins Square Playgrounds along Avenue B and Seventh Street were unveiled in early October after a year-long upgrade.

Overall, parents have been pleased with the new equipment for their kids, though initially disappointed and angered that some of it already broke down. (According to the Parks Department website, funding for the reconstruction cost $2.57 million.)

However, for those children with special needs, the new inclusive playgrounds, which go beyond what the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates, have been a critically important addition to the neighborhood.

With the permission of his family, I accompanied a 5-year-old East Village resident named Jay as he explored the new equipment. Jay was born legally blind and is deaf without his cochlear implant. He has a rare genetic condition that leaves him with developmental delays and sensory issues.

His mother explains that sensory toys and equipment like those found at the new playground help develop skills that kids need — proprioception, visual, auditory — and assist them in focus and stabilization.

She points out that while there are many playgrounds in the neighborhood, this is the only one that has facilities for kids with sensory processing issues, vision and/or hearing loss, and mobility/balance concerns.



The new playground includes a telescope, outdoor musical instruments like a bell and glockenspiel, fall-protection tiles, hand-bike pedals, a swing with ADA chair, and a shaker play panel — a favorite of Jay’s.

The yellow color of the playground is not just cheerful it can also often be seen by those with low vision. That plus high-contrast differentiation and fall-protection makes it easier and safer to navigate.


[The shaker play panel]


[The telescope]


[Hand-bike petals]


[The Glockenspiel play panel]

HAGS, which designed the equipment, has additional information on inclusive and accessible playgrounds here.

New playground repairs happening now in Tompkins Square Park

Repairs at the recently refurbished Tompkins Square Park playground at Seventh Street and Avenue B are underway this morning.

An EVG tipster spotted a Parks Department vehicle and several workers on the scene... it appeared they were focused on a broken swing seat...



We've heard from several concerned parents in recent days about the equipment breaking down less than 10 days after the refurbished playgrounds debuted on Oct. 4.

As one parent noted: "One of the tethered swing seats has already come undone and is swinging freely and dangerously due to a bent bracket and missing locknut." On Sunday, the parent asked an NYPD officer who was in the Park for crime-scene tape to prevent anyone from using the broken swing.

The upgrades, which took 12 months to complete, included the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new safety surfacing, spray showers, seating and fencing. According to the Parks Department website, funding for the reconstruction cost $2.57 million.

And some reaction to what has transpired in the new playgrounds...

We're glad for these upgrades, but @NYCParks needs better accountability when it comes to quality control. Our office has asked for fixes, but also answers to what happened to this playground equipment. https://t.co/FtNXezv8tg

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) October 17, 2019

More great work from @mitchell_silver. First he got us the $3 million park bathroom. Now a $2.5 million playground upgrade that broke after two weeks of use. https://t.co/jz536SoLly

— Boerum Hill Neighbors (@boerumhillnbrs) October 17, 2019

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: New playground equipment already falling apart in Tompkins Square Park

Reader report: New playground equipment already falling apart in Tompkins Square Park

It seems that the renovated Tompkins Square Park playground on Seventh Street and Avenue B is not made from parts that can withstand a week's worth of East Village kid play.

An East Village parent shared the following photos...





Here's the parent via an email:

One of the tethered swing-seats has already come undone and is swinging freely and dangerously due to a bent bracket and missing locknut. When some kids were playing with the broken unit [Sunday] evening, it nearly clocked my son in the head.

So the parent alerted an NYPD officer who was in the Park. The officer provided the parent with "crime scene" tape to secure the loose seat. The officer also promised to report it to the Parks Department.



Another parent noted a plastic piece that belongs to the playground equipment lying around... with a missing screw...



The equipment is made by a Swedish company call Hags... the contractor who did the work is based in Paramus, N.J.



The playground reopened in the evening on Oct. 4 after a year-long renovation.

The upgrades included the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new safety surfacing, spray showers, seating and fencing. According to the Parks Department website, funding for the reconstruction cost $2.57 million.

Back to the first parent:

This broken gear on a brand new NYC playground is striking fear [the reader recalled this accident] and not a small amount of anger from some parents. And if the $2.5 mil number is accurate, then it really is a crime scene. It's absurd that things would be falling apart after little more than a week.

The parent followed up with this: "Everyone is ecstatic that there are new playgrounds for our kids — we’re just a little dismayed at how things could come apart so quickly."

Updated 8 p.m.

Parent Choresh Wald shared these photos... noting the cheap epoxy that will crack soon ...





... and a sign of rust on the stainless steel even before the arrival of cold weather ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Preliminary thoughts and concerns about the new Tompkins Square Park playground

Preliminary thoughts and concerns about the new Tompkins Square Park playground

Back on Friday, workers removed the construction fences around the newly renovated Avenue B playgrounds in the southeast section of Tompkins Square Park, marking the end of the 12-month project.

In comments gleaned from EVG, social media and various conversations, residents were obviously happy to have the entrances back open on Seventh Street and Avenue B and Eighth Street and Avenue B.

There were also positive comments about the new (already tagged) state-of-the-art playground equipment, which is also accessible for kids with special needs. (We'll have more on that particular aspect in an upcoming post.)



There were also some questions and concerns. One resident wondered why the Parks Department didn't take the time to repave the walkways during the renovations ... with the resident calling attention to the rough patches that make it especially difficult for people with mobility issues to navigate...



The same resident wondered why the Parks Department only replaced some of the benches in the renovation zone...





Another resident shared these photos with a short comment: "Finally we have two new great playgrounds. As a new mom, I went to check them out [yesterday] morning only to find a stash of dirty needles and a bloody rag directly next to the playground. Sad. Let’s hope the Parks Dept. is more cautious with cleanup in this new area."





While not directly related to the new playgrounds, another resident pointed out that the encampments that have popped up in the Park's main lawn have now spread to the area along Avenue B between Eighth Street and Ninth Street...

Welcoming the new playground equipment to Tompkins Square Park

Less than 24 hours since workers opened up the renovated playgrounds in Tompkins Square Park... someone has already doodled on (defaced if you'd like) the equipment, as EVG regular Salim notes in these two photos...



Work started Oct. 1, 2018, on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B. The upgrades include the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new equipment and seating.

At long last, the construction fence is coming down around the Tompkins Square Park playground

[Photo by Katherine Gleason]

In breaking-ish news today, workers are taking down the construction fences around the recently renovated Avenue B playground in Tompkins Square Park. Word is the playground will be open for use this afternoon.

The work started Oct. 1, 2018, on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B. The space was expected to reopen some time last month.

The upgrades have included the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new safety surfacing, spray showers, seating and fencing. A schematic from the Parks website offers more detail...



The Parks Department is supplementing the project's funding with its Parks Without Borders initiative that will lower the fences from its present height of 7 feet to 4 feet, a move that stirred plenty of concern in early 2017.

Parks officials believe the shorter fences make the play areas safer — "lowering barriers that block sight lines discourages negative behavior while at the same time making the green space more open and aesthetically pleasing," as DNAinfo reported at the time.

Meanwhile, various residents and EVG commenters have noted that if it took one year for the city to upgrade a small section of Tompkins Square Park, then how long will it realistically take to stormproof the 45-acre East River Park?

Updated 1:45

Another reader photo via Tullah on 7th...



Updated 4 p.m.

The entrances and playgrounds are now open ... Dave on 7th checks in...



... and there are new benches ... and room for parking!

Could there be news soon about the reopening of the Tompkins Square Park Avenue B children’s playgrounds?

The word from Tompkins Square Park: Inspectors are expected to look over the new equipment in the recently renovated Avenue B playground today (Monday!)...



If all goes well, then we should have word of a grand re-opening here soon.

The work started last Oct. 1 on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B. The space was expected to reopen some time this month.

H/T Steven!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nearly 11 months in, Tompkins Square Park playground rehab winding down

Nearly 11 months in, Tompkins Square Park playground rehab winding down

Crews are apparently wrapping up the renovations at the Tompkins Square Park Avenue B children’s playgrounds.

The work started last Oct. 1 on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B.



Here's a look at the revamped playground area from Monday...





A worker told EVG correspondent Steven yesterday that the heavy-duty construction fences should be taken down in about a week — following an inspection of the new playground equipment. The Parks Department website lists this project at 94 percent complete, with a September 2019 reopening date.

The upgrades have included the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new safety surfacing, spray showers, seating and fencing. A schematic from the Parks website offers more detail...



The Parks Department is supplementing the project's funding with its Parks Without Borders initiative that will lower the fences from its present height of 7 feet to 4 feet, a move that stirred plenty of concern in early 2017.

Parks officials believe the shorter fences make the play areas safer — "lowering barriers that block sight lines discourages negative behavior while at the same time making the green space more open and aesthetically pleasing," as DNAinfo reported at the time.

Speaking of shorter fences, Steven took these photos on Wednesday...





This renovation project had been in the making three-plus years at the start of the construction.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to brainstorm ideas to renovate the Tompkins Square Park Playground (27 comments)

Reminders: Meeting on possible improvements to the Tompkins Square Park Playground

Join Rosie Mendez to discuss improvements to the Tompkins Square playgrounds tomorrow night

Community meeting set to discuss lowering the playground fences in Tompkins Square Park (28 comments)

Report: There's opposition to lowering the playground fences in Tompkins Square Park

Playground renovations underway in Tompkins Square Park