Thursday, June 16, 2011

In need of an upgrade: Conestoga playground

Playground: Conestoga
Location: Media St. and 53rd St.
Date visited: Jun. 12, 2011
Equipment:
  • Very minimal small kids' zone: tiny "spaceship" (can crawl into but ridiculously low), old free-standing metal slide, 1 bucket swing
  • Big kids' zone -- platform-style playset with stairs, 4 ladders, 2 fire poles, and a pretty big metal slide (note, however, that at the top of the slide, there's a big dropoff with no guardrail), plus an old semicircular climbing apparatus, and 2 strap swings
Ages: 2-6
Surface: rubberized by play areas
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: No
Other: Basketball court, playing field (football while we were there), rec center
Access: Unknown
Impressions: Sorely in need of an upgrade, especially the small kids' zone, which has very little in it and is very rundown. (I'll grant that things weren't helped by the fact that we visited just after a rainy day, so there were big moldy puddles on and near the slide.) The big kids' zone is fine -- routine equipment in OK shape. Some efforts seem to have been made to improve the feel of the space -- like a Sesame St. mural on the rec center -- but this site could really use a bigger-scale effort, either by the city or a philanthropic organization.

Overall rating: 4

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