Thursday, September 19, 2013

Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Playground Now Open And With Children Playing - What Do You Think Of It?

Rebecca Knell shares this photo of Roosevelt Island's new playground/tot lot at Blackwell Park which had its Grand Opening earlier this afternoon

 Image From Rebecca Knell

adding:
And now with children! 
Anybody try it out yet? What do you think?

UPDATE 9/20 - Here are some scenes from the Grand Opening and a succinct review by one young lady in the playground who simply said:
YAAAAAYYYYYY


Before the playground opened, excited children and their parent lined up for the ribbon cutting.

Image From RIOC
Image From RIOC

RIOC shares these scenes from yesterday's Blackwell Park Playground opening and reports:
Fay Christian emceed the event,


 then Ellen Polivy said a few words


before we proceeded to the ribbon-cutting. Sarah Willard of Hudson-Related, Fay Christian of the RIOC Board of Directors, Howard and Ellen Polivy of RIRA and Louis Schwartz of Monadnock Construction cut the ribbon


before the excited crowd of children rushed onto the playground to have fun.

More scenes of yesterday's playground opening from RIOC





and Roosevelt Island residents.



UPDATE 9 PM - A Roosevelt Island mom is concerned with the safety of the new playground equipment. Susy del Campo Perea writes:
The screws are falling down


and one was just laying around the floor, now on my possession out of kids harm way.

This playground is not safe at all.

 Image of parent (Susy) holding equipment screw found on playground From Brianna Warsing

I have the screw with me at home. And I am not giving it back until a real engineer on behalf of the state and/or city could really assure me and the rest of the families that the playground is safe. Cause so far it isn't.

By the way, the door of the swings is also broken



and it also is a hazard for our little ones (all ages).
UPDATE 9/23 - More here.

12 comments :

Nally said...

I will like to see the signature and license of ALL the "engineers" that supposedly had to sign off the new playground. Cause one thing is for sure: poor assembly and the fence is already broken. That's what Eva Bosbach email us after her conversation with Erika Spencer-EL (RIOC)

Avery H. said...

It's a beautiful new park, and the shaded location is wonderful. The kids seem to be having a great time. As the mother of a soon-to-be toddler though, I'm so sad to see the old tot lot go, and I know that several other parents of toddlers feel the same. The new play structure is rated for children 5-12, and is definitely way to big for the 2-3 year olds. The only equipment for the little ones are a low swing and some balance boards, but these are not physically separated from the big kids area so are being used by the big kids, which push the little ones away. Also, we are down to only one bucket swing now, which is sad. Anyway, it's a shame that there are so many playgrounds for kids 5+ on the island, but we have lost the only one for kids 1-5. Can I hope that the old tot lot equipment will reappear somewhere else on the island?

Avery H. said...

Agreed - and maybe there is a step missing too? The step up the play structure seems so high for children

rilander said...

I know that both David Kramer of Hudson Related, and some of the people at RIOC, including their president and some of the directors, read this blog. Here's what needs to be done to address the issues that are being
revealed about this new playground:

1. It supposedly was built to replace the "tots Lot" (the toddler's playground for 2 through pre-school) that was to be demolished to make way for Southtown #7. Instead, it is a playground for school age kids from 5-12! Hello…there are already several other playgrounds for that age group and none now for the little kids.
2. PSD director McManus should assign frequent
foot patrols and a presence, especially in the beginning weeks or months, that will set a tone that bad behavior will not be accepted. Reports that the older kids were pushing the little ones are simply not acceptable. Further, perhaps this playground should be off limits to older kids unless accompanied by an adult.
3. The gates must be repaired so that they open and close properly. Signs must be posted about closing the gates.
4. The openings must be wide enough so that someone with a stroller can easily and safely maneuver it into and out of the playground.
5. The older kids have another playground a few feet away, so there must be clarification about who this playground is for.
6. As for the only single baby swing, to quote one of the TV talk show hosts, "what the hell were they thinking?" when they designed this playground!

YetAnotherRIer said...

1. IMHO, this playground is just fine for all ages from toddler through preschool.


2. Eh, we parents can take care of rowdy behavior just fine. No need to get the police.


3. Watch your children. But yeah, if something's broken it should get fixed as quickly as possible.


4. I had no problems with the gate.


5. Doesn't matter. See 1 and 2.


6. I agree that it needs more baby swings.

YetAnotherRIer said...

Somehow my children appreciated all playgrounds we went to. We never went by what age a playground is rated for.

Avery H. said...

Saw another parent walking off with a screw their child had found in the playground today. They seem to all be falling out from underneath the balance boards.The gate to the swings is now stuck open and wedged on the ground.

Nally said...

Today, 4 teenagers were using the swings to kick and actual Football. One was on the swings, another pitch the football to be kicked and of course it flew and landed outside the swing area exactly were the "blue things" for the toddlers are (they read 6-24 months), hit one girl and she falled down hard, the ball bounced and hit a sitting dad that was drinking his Starbucks while watching his kiddo in the slides.....


When have you seen in Public, Charter and Church schools that 2 yrs old should play in the same area at the same time with 12 yrs old??? Only stupids like Hudson Related and RIOC can think about that and that's why we have this "new" playground: falling to pieces and the small kids being BULLIED by teenagers


Yesterday, the 12 yrs old and older kidnapped the swing area and were using the swings as stools to grab the upper bar and used it as monkey bars!!! And of course, they go with out parents or caretakers and we can't do anything about it.


Thank you Eva Bosbach for communicating SO SO Well the needs of the babies and toddlers that you said yes to this design or you agreed to the idea of 6 months old or 24 months old playing in the same area and with the same games as 12 yrs old. GREAT JOB!!!

ARIR said...

The ONLY 2-5 toddler lot on the island was replaced by yet an other 5+ plays structure... VERY SMART, congrats to the heavy thinkers at RIOC. And yes, the climbing structure tagged "6-23 months" still doesn't offer anything for a 2-5 yrs old, so mmm.. try again!

YetAnotherRIer said...

Did you try to talk to those 12 year olds? If you actually did and they just laughed at you did you try to get PSD?

PeaceandPlenty said...

Eva neither said yes to this design, nor did she agree with the age range of the new park. What makes you think that she did? If you have evidence that she did either, please present it; otherwise, it would be better for you to check your facts before making sarcastic comments.

YetAnotherRIer said...

There is a great playground on the corner of 96th Street and Lexington Avenue. Guess what? It is mixed age, does not have fences and barricades to keep kids apart by age, it even has an adjacent basketball court that teenagers and young adults use. Guess what? Nobody complains there. Kids and adults get along. Nobody is scared that a 16 year old may bump into a toddler.