Just off the board walk in Coney Island, this big playground serves local residents – at least until a fire destroyed part of it. 

We had come to Coney Island on a warm March day for chili cheese dogs and to play in the sand. After having our fill in the sand, we headed over to Asser Levy to find a bit of greenspace. One problem here is Surf Ave here is set up like a superhighway with too many lanes of traffic. A cab almost ran us over while turning without looking. 

The park itself is lovely, with a seating area and walking paths. The playground is in the center of this. There were two main play sets with a water area in the center. Swings were were set off on either side. Generally this was a spacious place to play, although if the water was on, it would be pretty easy for children to get wet, even if you didn't want them wet. 

The younger children's half of the playground had lots of sensory equipment, and I particularly liked the custom Coney Island and subway map themed panel.

Our four-year-old was also tickled by the little house. The table areas also had pint-sized tables for kids.

The side with the larger equipment had been locked off, and it appears forcibly reopened by the community. Part of the structure here was destroyed by a fire more than 18 months ago and the city is yet to repair it. The city should do better. There's melted plastic pooled in a pile, and the twisty slide is inaccessible. It appears there had previously been a bridge connecting two parts of the structure, and without that component, the flow of play is greatly disrupted. 

Although we were there on a spring day when the warm sun felt like a relief, I could also see how in the height of summer, the lack of shade trees could really leave this playground exposed to too much sun. 

It really is a shameful lack of oversight that the city has not yet repaired this playground. It's a big asset to the neighborhood, both for local residents and visitors. 

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Not to be confused with the Asser Levy playground in Manhattan's east side, the Asser Levy Park in Coney Island was acquired by the Parks Department in 1954. It sits across the street from teh New York Aquarium, which opened in 1957.

A fire in September of 2024 melted much of the equipment on the side designed for older children. The Parks department has not yet repaired the playground.

The park was named for Asser Levy, the leader of a group of Jewish immigrants who had fled from Brazil to New Amsterdam in 1654.