Considering a place for some active recreation? Then let’s explore Chelsea Park together. This urban park in Manhattan dates back to 1910. It is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
Chelsea Park is located between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. It sits between West 27th and West 28th Streets. The park spans almost 4 acres offering various recreational facilities.
Initially, Chelsea Park’s creation was a protracted process. It involved approval, funding, and clearing the tenements that once occupied the site. Today the park has sports fields. It also has basketball and handball courts. A children’s playground and space for sitting are available too. The surface is mostly tarmac or artificial turf. You will see pits for plane trees and some flower plantings.
Several upgrades have enhanced Chelsea Park over the years. The Works Progress Administration and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation contributed. Fencing surrounds the park to contain the play areas. Gates are at various points for easy access. Taller fencing encloses the soccer pitch.
Chelsea Park is one of the busier parks in the neighborhood. It provides spaces for both passive and active recreation. The P.O. David Willis Basketball Court honors a New York City Police Department officer. Officer Willis patrolled the park. Public washrooms are available year-round at West 27th Street and 9th Avenue. A District Health Center is in the eastern part of the park.
Chelsea Park is also home to the Chelsea Park Memorial. It is also known as the Doughboy Statue. This monument honors local heroes of World War I. The granite stele features a bronze statue of an American soldier. The plinth has an inscription dedicated to the soldiers and sailors of Chelsea. The memorial was designed by Charles Rollinson Lamb. Philip Martiny created the statue.
Also see the memorial gate posts in front of the District Health Center. The Horatio Seymour Tammany Club commissioned them. They commemorate Frank L Dowling, Frank J. Goodwin, and William L. Kavanagh.
The Chelsea Improvement Society proposed a playground for the park in 1904. They noted the lack of parks along Ninth Avenue at the time. The city finally acquired the properties in 1906. A temporary playground was built in 1908. The first permanent playground opened in June 1910.
The Chelsea Doughboy Statue was dedicated on April 7 1921. The decorative gateposts were installed in 1926. A water tower collapse injured two children in 1925.
The Department of Parks reconstructed a section of the park between 1934 and 1936. They added a large play area with a ball field and handball courts. They also provided play equipment for small children. The Lower West Side Health Center was opened to the public in July 1937. The WPA made further changes adding an asphalt area for ice-skating. The WPA-restored park was officially opened on June 6 1940. Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses attended the ceremony.
An extension to Chelsea Park opened on the grounds of P.S. 33 in 1953. This included two handball courts and three basketball courts.
The playground and basketball courts were restored in the mid-1990s. Refurbishment of the handball courts was completed in 2016.
Next time you are looking for a park, remember Chelsea Park. This park has a rich history. It continues to serve the community with its diverse recreational facilities.