Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground is located on the island of Manhattan at 269 West 150th Street, New York.
How Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground Came to Be
The playground is named in honor of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949). He was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer. For the first half of the 20th century, he was the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States.
He performed on the vaudeville stage and had elaborate routines—including his distinctive “stair dance”—made him a star performer, and his extravagant lifestyle contributed to the development of a larger-than-life persona.
He appeared in several films alongside the young Shirley Temple, and his final of 14 films, Stormy Weather (1943), also starred singer Lena Horne.
Robinson amassed enormous wealth and donated the majority of it to charitable causes and neighbourhood organisations.
Robinson was given the honorary title of Mayor of Harlem for his dedication to the neighbourhood.
Before it became the Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground, the lot was owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr, and son of Standard Oil co-founder, John D. Rockefeller.
It was vacant until he deeded the land to New York City as a public park at the urging of Robinson, who lived opposite the park at Dunbar Apartments, across West 150th Street.
What’s at Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground
One highlight of the park is an 18-foot high mural that shows Bill “Bojangles” Robinson step-dancing. This was added in 1992.
The playground was rebuilt in 2020 as part of NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative. A new playground equipment was added to the Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground.
The playground equipment features a play tower with different climbing apparatus. These include an unusual climbing ladder that turns as it leads up to play structure’s platform. There is also a curved slide along with bongos built into the playground.
Pavers with dance moves were added as a tribute to Bill Bojangles Robinson.
Other facilities at the Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground include basketball courts.
There is also seating for those who wish to take a rest at the park, all in the shadow of Bill Robinson’s murals.
You may also be interested in these other New York City parks.
