Giving Chelsea a New Place to Play
Is there really a better way to celebrate National Walk to a Park Day than with the opening of a new, student-designed green playground? That’s exactly what happened when Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson joined The Trust for Public Land, Principal Cindy Wang and a squad of eager students for the opening of the new play space at PS 33-Chelsea Prep in Manhattan.
The $1.6 million playground puts a running track, turf field, basketball practice hoops, soccer field, games tables, play equipment, and trees within a 10-minute walk for over 30,000 NYC residents. The footprint of the playground is small but the impact is huge — its green infrastructure elements will capture up to 365,000 gallons of stormwater annually, improving the health of the East River.
Our partnership with Trust for Public Land enables this space to have the green infrastructure elements that really take a good playground and turn it into a great one — just take Commissioner Sapienza’s word for it:
“School playgrounds play a vital role in our children’s physical, intellectual and social development,” said PS 33 Principal Cindy Wang. “Our school playground is not only a place where students come together for recess, it is an extension of our communal learning environment where our children learn to share, collaborate, problem solve, and expand their creativity and imagination. We are excited to have our playground updated for our students and the community to enjoy for many years to come.”
The student-designed playground gives the kids an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of designing a playground, giving them a chance to see the science, math, and architecture that goes into it. They, along with their parents and neighbors, get to come together to make their neighborhood a more sustainable, more resilient and more FUN place to live. Now, doesn’t that make you want to dance?
