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Playground 52 (often written as Playground 52 LII) is a playground at 681 Kelly Street in the Longwood neighborhood of 
The skate park was designed in 2018 by Spohn Ranch. It includes two banks, a quarter pipe, and a variety of street obstacles. BMX bikes, scooters, inline skates, and skateboards are allowed.
Starting in 2017, the Playground underwent renovations including the creation of new basketball courts and a new
Parks Department web site
Municipal Art Society of New York article
{{Protected areas of New York City Parks in the Bronx Music venues in the Bronx Longwood, Bronx Skateparks in New York City
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The playground features basketball and handball courts, bathrooms, a spray shower, and a skate park. as well as an amphitheater with a large dance floor.
Originally built in the 1950s as a playground for 52, the playground suffered decay during the 1970s. In 1980, a group of volunteers known as 52 People for Progress (52 People for Change in some sources) began to rehabilitate the park in collaboration with local musicians such as Mike Amadeo
Casa Amadeo, antigua Casa Hernández is the oldest, continuously-occupied Latin music store in New York City, and the Bronx, having opened in 1941. ''See also:''
Casa Amadeo is located in a historic apartment building located in the Longwood ...
and Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive.
Early life
Pal ...
. Although the school was renamed as MS 302 during the 1990s, the playground is still referred to as Playground 52.
The park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...
and is used as a venue for musical performances. The 52 People for Progress volunteers continue to maintain the park.
The skate park was designed in 2018 by Spohn Ranch. It includes two banks, a quarter pipe, and a variety of street obstacles. BMX bikes, scooters, inline skates, and skateboards are allowed.
Starting in 2017, the Playground underwent renovations including the creation of new basketball courts and a new amphitheater
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
. The renovations were initially expected to be completed in May 2018. It reopened in September 2018. The 2017–2018 renovation won the 2019 Merit Award for General Design from the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship ...
. The ASLA noted that community input guided the design. The need for an expanded performance space to host salsa dances and concerts led to the construction of a 381 seat amphitheater with provision for gated access. The performance stage is covered and accessible
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...
, and a dance floor is included. The park is used by over 500 children daily.
References
External links
Parks Department web site
Municipal Art Society of New York article
{{Protected areas of New York City Parks in the Bronx Music venues in the Bronx Longwood, Bronx Skateparks in New York City