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Revamp of Astoria Health Playground Nearly Complete

Astoria Health Playground Renovation Renderings (NYC Parks Department)

March 24, 2019 By Meghan Sackman

The reconstruction of an unloved park on 14th Street is nearly complete.

Astoria Health Playground, a small park located at 31-25 14th St., has been undergoing a $2.9 million revamp over the past year, with the work expected to be complete in April, according to a Parks Dept. spokesperson.

The overhaul includes new playground equipment, swings, water play features and a seating area. The old half-basketball court is being replaced and moved to a new area within the ¼-acre park.

The Parks Department said the half court is being moved from the front of the park to the rear and that it will be using the front of the park for seating. The existing high fence at the front of the park, which was used to keep the basketballs inside, is being lowered.

The front fence will also be moved closer to the property line to increase the size of the park. By doing so, the trees adjacent to the sidewalk will become part of the park and be enclosed by the front fence. The sidewalk by the entrance is also being replaced.

The park has undergone the overhaul as part of the Mayor’s $318 million Community Parks Initiative. The initiative, which was launched in 2014 smaller, aims to upgrade 67 parks citywide that are located in low-income areas and that have received minimal improvements in the past 20 years.

Astoria Health Playground in December 2017 (Google)

 

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16 Comments

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Anonymous

How about the park on 20 Ave and 38st. The nearest park is 48st and 20abe or Astoria park let’s hook this park up too please

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Jason

This is AMAZING ! I grew up on 14th street and a lot has changed. 14st Park needed a new makeover , can’t wait to see the finished project. If you happen to be around the park, there’s a small pizzaria on the corner of 14th st and 30th Drive. Carmelo, who owns the pizzaria been in business for years. He has the best pizza in our neighborhood. Definitely grabbing a slice and hitting up the park once it’s finished =)

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Name

I live in the immediate area and I have never seen homeless or unsavory characters around this park. If anything, there have been youngsters playing basketball and parents with toddlers. The new construction will be very welcomed to the families in the neighborhood.

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Anonymous

Right of course. You monitor the streets for miscreants. Please stay home and watch Kojak reruns.

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J Mitchell

Any improvements to our local parks are welcomed and appreciated, but how about the long awaited improvements to Astoria Park. Though the people who live nearby the 14th Street park will certainly appreciate what’s been done here, many more have been waiting for the promised and budgeted improvements to Astoria Park. Perhaps if our local politicians focused on the needs of their constituents rather than their own political ambitions, we’d get a decent park and our politicians would have our gratitude (our vote come next election). Who knows, we might even look the other way about their stance on A-HQ2

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Chris

This park absolutely needed to be overhauled. It was a mess and basically a drug hang out!

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Anthony

Mama said not to hang out with those kids, so I just stayed home and watched them enjoy life . Boring childhood I had =\

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