Seth Low Playground – Brooklyn NY

City:
Brooklyn, New York City, NY

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Playgrounds, Athletic Courts and Fields

New Deal Agencies:
Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs

Completed:
1941

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

This five-acre playground in Brooklyn was first established in 1924. In 1941 the WPA completed an extensive reconstruction of the main area of the park as well as the addition of a new 1/4 acre sitting area (Bealin Triangle) separated from the rest of the park by Stillwell Ave. The Department of Parks press release announcing the opening described the WPA’s work:

“The kindergarten area has been reduced in size and resurfaced. The existing seesaws and swings were relocated and… the school has been provided with new swings, slides and an exercise unit.

The wading pool and comfort station area required minor revisions…

…in addition to the existing combination basketball and volleyball court added four new paddle tennis courts…[and] two concrete surfaced handball courts…

The new addition has been provided with a bituminous paved soft-ball diamond…

A new concrete sidewalk centered on two new block-paved, tree-planted malls was constructed along Avenue P and Stillwell Avenue…

The new sitting area on the triangle west of Stillwell Avenue has been given the typical sidewalk treatment consisting of concrete boundary walk bordered by block panels and trees. The interior, surfaced with asphalt, contains 300-lineal feet of tree shaded benches.

The work was performed by the Work Projects Administration from plans prepared by the Department of Parks.”

The playground officially received its current name in 1987 and is still in active use.

Source notes

Department of Parks, Press Release, December 16, 1941 NYC Parks - Seth Low Playground New York City Parks Department New Deal Projects 1934-43

Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on December 24, 2016.

Location Info


W 12st St. and Bay Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Brooklyn County

Coordinates: 40.607966, -73.986312

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