This very small playground packs a huge punch.
The space is squeezed into the narrow area between the new apartment towers and the Newtown Creek. The setting itself is stunning with view of the Greenpoint and Manhattan and the creek itself, but the space does feel a little more condensed than it should be.
The main feature here is a pirate ship. There's lots of sensory pieces here, and a captain's wheel for steering the ship.
The other features include an artificial climbing rock face with some bugs and other little details that inquiring yong minds like to spot.
We showed up here during one of those crisp autumn days when the DOE decided yet another holiday was a priority over having in-person learning, so it was quite a busy spot.
On the downside, this was a classic example of investing in a lot shiny equipment, but not all of it was especially useful, like the ropes with balls for balancing – these just aren't that fun.
Part of the Malt Drive Park, a riverfront park on the southern tip of Long Island City, the Malt Drive Playground is brand new. The park officially opened in November 2024. The park is part of the ongoing redevelopment along Malt Drive, south of the LIC rail yards, built by TF Cornerstone. The park serves as a flood reduction tool, raising the waterfront and absorbing storm surges.
