Playground 89

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A proposition to build a playground on this site for adjoining P.S. 166 was passed by the Board of Estimate in June 1962, at the suggestion of the Parent’s Association and several civic organizations. Originally named P.S. 166 Playground and designed by M. Paul Friedberg and Associates, the parkland was built in 1967 with an amphitheater, a wading pool with water jets, stone pyramids with slides, tree houses, a comfort station, and a climbing structure with tire swings. The original design also included the arch and gate that still stand at the entrance to the playground from the school.

On March 24, 1986, Parks renamed this property Playground 89. Over the years, neighborhood residents complained that the general public could not use the park. In 1995, plans were made for the playground to be demolished and rebuilt in compliance with contemporary safety standards. The Vincent Astor Foundation provided a grant to hire the playground’s original designer, M. Friedberg, to design the current playground with a new generation of play equipment. In 1999, Council Member Ronnie M. Eldridge funded a $1 million renovation to the site, in which a semi-circular amphitheater was built with water spouts at the entrance to the playground. New plantings, play equipment with safety surfacing, and fencing were also included in the new, more safety-conscious playground designed in the spirit of the original.