Andries Playground

Did you know Andries Playground is named after Andries Hudde? He was quite a character. A 17th-century Dutch settler. He arrived in New Netherland in 1629. He became the Commissary of Stores. Imagine being in charge of all the colony’s supplies. That was a big job. Andries was ambitious. He bought a massive 3600 acres on Long Island. That land includes parts of Midwood. Flatlands and even Coney Island are part of his purchase. He later bought more land in lower Manhattan. He certainly had a knack for real estate. But his financial life was a rollercoaster. He had serious money problems. He even had to return to government service as Surveyor of Manhattan. He was appointed Commissary for the South River. That’s now the Delaware River. He tried to establish Dutch-Indian trade there. It wasn’t very successful. Later he was accused of disloyalty to the Dutch. He was acquitted but unemployed. He even tried teaching school. There’s no proof he ever actually taught though. He had a tough life. His first wife died. He remarried. He had at least one child with his second wife. He eventually became a successful official in New Amstel. That’s a Dutch colony. He held many positions simultaneously. He was clerk sheriff surveyor and magistrate. He even briefly served as director-general. But he remained poor. He planned to open a brewery in Maryland. He died of a fever before he got there. He died in 1663 along the Delaware River. This playground. Andries Playground. It’s a memorial to this remarkable man. It’s a place of rest and recreation. It was acquired by Parks in 1947. Sixteen years later the playground and JHS 240 opened. It was called Hudde Playground. It was renamed Andries Playground in 1998. A major renovation happened in 1999. It was funded by Council Member Lloyd Henry. Now it boasts new paving three basketball courts and two basketball standards. So next time you play here remember Andries Hudde. Remember his life. His struggles. His successes. Andries Playground. A place with a story. A story of ambition and hardship. A story waiting to be discovered.