Pearl Street Playground, Financial District

Pearl Street Playground is great for FiDi and Seaport families with little kids. And it’s a fun stopover playground when visiting the Seaport across the street.

The playground equipment has many features that preschoolers will love. Even new walkers can explore the first set of platforms, which are only inches off the ground, and include the tiniest imaginable rock climbing wall and slides. There are two miniature roofed houses, one with a tiny table and benches inside, perfect for pretend play. The small, walled sandpit held six little kids digging at once when we were there. Plus, there are three baby swings. A second, mid-height climbing structure maxes out at about 5-feet high, so parents can always be close at hand. It has two rope net ladders, a hanging bridge and platforms, and a twisty slide. There are foot platforms to hop and jump across, connecting the lower play structure to the higher one. The equipment is designated for children ages 2 to 12.

Visibility/Safety? The play equipment is clustered in one area, so keeping track of kids’ whereabouts is easy. The one gated entrance remains closed, and a double fence with plantings in between is a barrier to busy Water Street. The flooring is specially designed to reflect the sun and absorb heat.

Bathroom Emergency? There is no public bathroom in the playground. A minute away is the grocery store, 55 Fulton Market, which has a restroom.

Snack Time/Coffee Break? There are plenty of benches around the perimeter of the playground, plus one adult-sized picnic table and two mini ones for little kids. But, there is hardly any place to take a break from the sun. Aside from the grocery store and several fast-food options on Fulton St., there are other stops for treats nearby. For a good cup of coffee and pastries, Coffee Project is a block away. A few minute’s walk to Front St. in the Seaport District, there are treats like Cafe Patoro for Brazilian pastries and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

Features: Baby swings, slide, water spray, sandbox, benches, picnic tables, nearby coffee & snacks.

Fun Fact: There are special design features that tell a story of the playground’s location and history. There’s a decorative crow’s nest (not accessible to climb) and a working periscope, a nod to the ships a few blocks away. The sandbox and water spray area are convincingly shaped like an open oyster shell, with a silver pearl shooting up a high fountain of water. Four hundred years ago, this was near the shoreline and the site of Lenape oyster shell mounds. A windmill marks the top of the climbing structure -- a reference to the Dutch settlers who named the location Paerlstrate.

Gianna Abruzzo is EatPlayExplore's playground correspondent and the person who knows Manhattan's parks better than anyone. Brooklyn-born and mother of three, she has raised her girls on these playgrounds and spent years championing the parks that make this city liveable. She created a collection of embroidered iron-on patches to celebrate them. Shop her patches here and follow her on Instagram.