Astoria's Ravenswood Playground Reopens After $7M Overhaul

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A Western Queens playground that had grown outdated and lined with trash trucks has reopened to the public with a new look, thanks to a $7.1 million overhaul by the city.

Officials cut the ribbon Tuesday at the Ravenswood Playground, where a full-scale reconstruction began in May 2021.

The roughly three-acre green space next to the NYCHA Ravenswood Houses, on 21st Avenue between 34th and 35th avenues, has been outfitted with new play equipment, seating and picnic areas, water play features, and renovated basketball courts and softball fields, among other changes, according to the Parks Department.

The project won't only benefit children: it also included rebuilding an entry and sidewalk at 35th Avenue that bisects the playground, which has been outfitted with new benches, game tables and trees — giving "a quiet reprieve for park patrons who prefer a more passive park experience," the department said.

"Ravenswood Playground has been completely transformed, and we could not be more excited to cut the ribbon on these new amenities for the community," Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a statement.

It represents a milestone for Ravenswood Playground, once mocked as "Department of Sanitation Park" by nearby residents since garbage trucks from the agency's next-door Queens West garage have often parked along the side of the green space. (The city last year approved a rezoning allowing the Sanitation Department to move the garage to a new site at the north end of Astoria, near Luyster Creek.)

Other additions include inclusive equipment allowing for more accessible play in the children's area, a new adult fitness zone with accessible units, and repaved sports courts that include a college-sized basketball court with bleacher seating for tournaments — as requested by the community, according to the city.

The city also built a walking track around the perimeter of the paved softball field, intended for seniors.

The $7.1 million in funding included $4 million from the City Council, $2.5 million from the Queens Borough President's office, and $700,000 from the mayor's office. Despite Tuesday's ribbon-cutting, the work actually wrapped up in June.

"This $7.1 million investment for Ravenswood Playground ensures that our NYCHA residents can enjoy brand new equipment, renovated sports fields, and much-needed safety improvements," City Council Member Julie Won said in a statement. "Our parks are where our kids play, and I am happy that our neighbors at Ravenswood Houses will have an updated space to enjoy the outdoors."

The land for Ravenswood Playground was acquired by the city in 1949 as part of the next-door NYCHA project, and the land was turned over to the Parks Department in 1952. The park itself opened that year, home to basketball, handball and shuffleball courts, an ice-skating rink, swings, jungle gyms, a sand pit and a softball field, according to a Parks Department history.

Formerly known as Ravenswood Houses Playground, its name was shortened to its current form in 1987.