Be Warned: “Playground is Closed”

First, we are very fortunate to be in good shape post-Hurricane Irene.  No power outages, major flooding, or serious disruption to life on the Upper East Side of NYC.  In fact, we even made it out to the playground for an hour yesterday despite the crappy conditions.

Transit delays and power outages are still major obstacles for many so that probably means many folks are home with their children today…on what could be billed as the nicest day of the year – sunny, 80 degrees, zero-humidity, and a light breeze.  So, you and your children select a playground as a destination.  You pack the snacks, sand toys, the scooter, and rush out the door.  That was me this morning!  Not once did I consider that the 50 – 60 mile-per-hour wind gusts yesterday evening might effect the trees in the local parks/playgrounds.

After journeying about twenty blocks to hit John Jay Playground (76th Street and York Ave) – a playground we have not been to in quite a while, and a destination that my toddler was adamant to go to…we were met by numerous NYC Parks employees at the gate to be told, “Playground is closed!” Several large trees were uprooted and branches were scattered across the entire playscape.  After my little guy got over the fact that several trees had “boo-boos” and that they were “crying” (his words), we ventured to another local hot-spot and had a blast!

Lesson: If you are planning to trek to a playground destination that is more than a couple of blocks from your home, you might want to find out if it is open today.