Located in East Harlem at the corner of 5th Avenue and East 135th Street in New York City, the Abraham Lincoln Playground has both a children’s playground and basketball courts, along with public toilets.
How the Abraham Lincoln Playground Got Its Name
Originally, East Harlem was primarily an industrial area. The land where Abraham Lincoln Playground stands was once a coal yard and around it were breweries and a timber yard.
In the 19th century, the area was developed as a residential neighbourhood to house new immigrants.
The Abraham Lincoln Houses was developed in the 1940s, named after the sixteenth president of the United States. The playground was also purchased by the City of New York. Two years later, the area came under the control of NYC Parks and given the name Abraham Lincoln Houses Playground.
What’s at the Abraham Lincoln Playground?
The Abraham Lincoln Playground was most recently renovated in 2021 under the Community Parks Initiative, a multifaceted program to improve the accessibility and calibre of parks throughout the five boroughs.
It now has a brand-new basketball court, a small pool with an ADA lift, play areas for different generations, and spray showers that get turned on in the summer.
Now the playground equipment at the Abraham Lincoln Playground include a play tower that kids can climb up. From the top of the play tower, there is a metal slide that they can use to get back down to the ground again.
There are also panels with hand and foot holds for kids to scale the low wall.
In addition, another play feature of the Abraham Lincoln Playground is the orange climbing dome. Stretched out with rope nets, it is a great way for kids to practice their gross motor skills while having fun.
A ramp up to the platform make it accessible for those with disabilities too.
In addition to the larger tower, there is a smaller play structure where kids can scale up to the top of the lower tower using a set of log stairs. A slide at the top of the tower provides a way for kids to get back down in a fun way too.
The pool is amazingly fun for kids during the summer months.
The water sprinklers come on to provide cool respite for the summer months too. It is a great way for kids to cool down and to enjoy time outdoors in the neighborhood.
Other play facilities at the Abraham Lincoln Playground include swings. There are different types of swings to suit both toddlers as well as older kids.
Another fun piece of play equipment at the playground is a low blue conveyor belt type slide that has rollers on it for kids to slide along.
You may also be interested in the Alexander Hamilton Playground in Harlem Heights.
