Shhh. Listen closely. Can you hear the echoes of laughter and shouts from decades past? Welcome to Greenwood Playground.
This isn’t just any playground. It opened on December 19 1935. It’s a piece of New York City history. Built during the Works Progress Administration era it’s one of hundreds of playgrounds commissioned throughout the city under Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. Imagine a time when this single acre was surrounded by homes and the Greenwood Avenue Methodist Church. A wading pool seesaws monkey bars and handball courts filled the space.
But Greenwood Playground’s story goes deeper. Beneath it lies a secret. The Independent Subway’s Fort Hamilton Parkway station was built there. The Board of Transportation leased land underground from the Board of Estimate to construct a cut-and-covered tunnel. The playground was built after the subway station’s completion. The city permanently acquired this land for $50,000 in 1941.
Time marched on. Changes swept through Greenwood Playground. The original recreation building was demolished. A spray shower replaced the old wading pool. Basketball courts and a softball field took the place of a demolished filling station.
Then there’s the Sixty First District Memorial. Dedicated on November 11 1922 it honors 47 local men who died in World War I. Originally it stood at P.S 130. It was moved to its current location in 1944. The expansion of Fort Hamilton Parkway forced the move. Sculpted by Charles Keck a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens the bronze relief is a powerful tribute.
Renovations in 1993 transformed the playground. Signe Nielsen Landscape Architects replaced old equipment with new modular features. They restored basketball courts and softball fields. The monument plaza received new brick pavers stone benches and an enclosed planting area. The cost exceeded $1 million.
Today Greenwood Playground remains a vital community space. It hosts concerts family events and volunteer opportunities. It’s the largest in a line of small parks stretching along the Prospect Expressway. A testament to resilience and community spirit. This is more than a playground. It is a living legacy.