At the top of a big hill, this neighborhood playground looks down on New York harbor with views of Jersey City, Lower Manhattan, and downtown Brooklyn. 

We took the ferry over to Staten Island. This in itself was the best $0 I spent entertaining this kid, but we promised him a playground. We headed north from the terminal through the outlet mall, and then up a steep hill. Flatlanders like us were not expecting such a hike. 

At the top of the hill we came to a uniquely bad intersection. The crosswalks were marked on corners without ADA ramps. The ADA ramps did not have a crosswalk at all. It was a perfect example of how the city doesn't think through zebra stripes or pedestrian safety, and all this in front of the park entrance. 

Once we safely crossed the street, we were easily able to get into the playground. There was as a small seating area overlooking the harbor looking straight down Wall Street. The playground was elevated just a bit above this sitting area, and trees blocked much of the view from his higher spot – but I would wager in winter with the leaves gone, the view improves. 

The playground itself was a bit worn out. I was actually surprised to find the water feature come to life, but it did. It was a hot afternoon but we didn't bring water clothing. The climbing equipment was a slightly older model, and there wasn't anything super unique about it. 

However, surrounding the play area was a lattice canopy. It provided a bit of shade and was reminiscent of a subway station. This was a functional playground, but not one we're likely to come back to any time soon. 

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Named for Nicholas Lia, a local football hero who died setting a land mine in Vietnam. The neighborhood worked to create the park on the land in the 1960s, and the playground opened in 1972. The last renovation was in 1991 costing $830,000.