The evolution of outdoor recreational space for the youth of New York City has been and still is a dynamic process. From the times of tenement houses, the active youth has been claiming territory for their social development, for their playtime, as we would put it. Over the years, different socially mandated movements aimed at instructing the parenting public altered the structure of play space available. This shift from local, Jane Jacobs-esque neighborhood block play spaces to city-regulated, centralized park locations for ‘proper play,’ fell victim to changing fiscal times, and ultimately subjected the current idealized park environment to the social troubles of the time. During the 1970’s, parks faced rampant drug use, gang violence, even racially prompted fighting. It’s this image, of the park as a street arena, that I was raised on.
Having grown up predominantly in Jackson Heights, I always approached the local park, one of only two, with caution. Granted, there exists far more dangerous and derelict parks in New York City, but I viewed Travers Park, as a kid, as the Wild Wild West. The tougher kids, usually Hispanics and urbanized white kids, the one’s that think they’re black, dominated the blacktop. Although I usually played baseball, basketball and the occasional water-gun fight there, I never saw my local park as regulated, as an area set aside by the neighborhood for children to engage in proper play. It was an area where kids let loose, in whatever way was appropriate to their age. Younger kids screaming and running around, usually insulting others. Teenagers congregated in packs hitting on girls. Older kids doing drugs during the night (I found this a few years ago, not as a young child).
However, in keeping with the Robert Moses distribution of parks, I do have a fairly upstanding view of parks in well-to-do neighborhoods. Of course there is Central Park, held in the highest regard by New Yorkers and even though crime and drug dealers dominate at night in some parts, the integrity of the park is not yet broken. I guess it has to do with the neighborhood surrounding these parks.
It’s interesting. Now, Jackson Heights is experiencing a slight wave of gentrification. White, middle-class families are moving in, usually with their children, and parts of the neighborhood are undergoing beautification. One of the issues tackled by local neighborhood groups is the lack of green space in Jackson Heights, proportionally the one of the most lacking neighborhoods in this regards in the city. A recent solution to this problem has been to cut off a street from traffic and transform it into a public play space. Formerly called “Play Street,” now the 78th Street Plaza, this open area is directly adjacent from Travers Park and acts an extension to the park. It’s almost like a return to old style on the street play, and has attracted many local residents. However, the times are changing. With this influx of middle class residents and the occasional hipster, the park’s report has grown more friendly and plaza is thriving.
