Al Quiñones Playground

What was here before? 
This site was once part of the Leggett estate. Major Abraham Leggett, for whom nearby Leggett Avenue is named, served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1776-83). His son, William Leggett, earned popular recognition for his sea stories, such as “Leisure Hours at Sea”, and “Leggett’s Naval Stories”.

Over time, the estate was divided and sold as the population grew.

How did this site become a playground? 
The site was first acquired by the City in 1958. Then known as P.S. 52 Playground, it was a Jointly Operated Playground (JOP) serving the school and local community. Beginning in 1938, the Board of Education (now the Department of Education) agreed to provide land next to schools where NYC Parks could build and maintain playgrounds that could be used by the school during the day and by the public when school is not in session.

The playground was renovated in 1989 after parents were concerned that the aged playground was unsafe, and 52 People for Progress was formed to advocate for the site. The renovation included the installation of rainbow play equipment and an amphitheater. In addition, an adjacent parcel of land was purchased so that basketball courts could be added to the playground.

This site was renovated again in 2018 through the Community Parks Initiative – a multi-faceted program to increase the accessibility and quality of parks throughout the five boroughs in an equitable manner. The playground was transformed with a skate park, renovated basketball courts, new bleachers, and a larger, ADA-accessible amphitheater with an open dance floor. New play equipment and swings were installed, along with a new spray shower, trees, plantings, and security lighting to increase visibility into the park during evening hours. The bathroom has also been completely rebuilt and is now ADA-accessible.

Who is this playground named for? 
Alberto “Al” Quiñones (1955-2019) was the leader of the organization “52 People for Progress” and a community activist for his South Bronx community.

Quiñones was born and raised in the Bronx and his childhood home was on the site where the basketball courts are which was demolished in the late 1980s. He attended Rice High School before graduating from Borough of Manhattan Community College.

A staunch advocate for his neighborhood, he served on Bronx Community Board 2 and the 41st Precinct Community Council. Quiñones was the leader and founder of 52 People for Progress, which completed over 250,000 hours of volunteer work. During which, he started the Latin Jazz Concert Series after urging NYC Parks to build an amphitheater. Quiñones also opened and maintained two community gardens: William Rainey Garden and Demera/Santiago Garden, which abuts this playground.

Quiñones died in 2019, leaving a legacy of empowering others to take care of where they live. He was known to say that "Volunteer work is the rent you paid to live on this earth".