Linda B.
Yelp
Only in New York City would a concrete slab without one patch of grass be classified as a park. I consider Travers "Park" a slightly glorified playground. And it's only glorified in that it's been given the title of park.
According to the NYC Parks website, when Travers Park was created in 1949, it "featured play equipment for younger children and a variety of athletic facilities for shuffleboard, softball, basketball, volleyball, paddle tennis, shuffle board, and handball. On cold winter days, the rollerskating area was flooded for use as an ice skating rink. Benches, trees, shrubs, and a parkhouse made the park a comfortable place to sit and rest." Well, things were much better 60 years ago.
Nowadays, the "park" is basically one huge handball court. That's all that goes on here, all the time. Though, once I saw a couple had brought their own tennis net and had set up some second-class tennis court. And another time I saw an old Asian lady running laps around the handball players. The rear part of the park (towards Northern Blvd) has a small playground for children, and lots of benches for the parents and stroller items. Essentially, this is a big playground for the kids and teenagers in the neighborhood. It's not a park for adults to stroll about and sit and read a book in. I guess we're supposed to do that in the courtyards/gardens of our apt building, but my building doesn't have a garden or courtyard. And, unfortunately, Travers Park doesn't either.
Right now they are doing renovations (at least this is what I tell myself), so a big chunk of the "park" is closed, except for the playground in the rear. I try not to walk by here, because it just depresses me and reminds me why I'm not cut out for concrete jungles.