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Barrier Playground

Horace Harding Exwy. Sr. Rd. S., 62 Ave. bet. 102 St. and Yellowstone Blvd.

Queens

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This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

On August 30, 1854, the City of New York acquired this property, and the land that would become Horace Harding Expressway, through condemnation. The City placed the property under NYC Parks jurisdiction on the same day. Originally named Hard Courts Area, the park is now known as Barrier Playground, or more affectionately as “Handball Haven.”

Handball is one of the most popular games in the city and has long been identified with New York; however, the game can be traced back through history to depictions in Egyptian tombs dating to 2000 BC, and in Native American sites in Arizona and Nicaragua circa 1500 BC.  Homer himself described the game in his epic poem, The Odyssey, as an invention of Princess Anagalla of Sparta.

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This map is designed to represent parks as they are used by the public. It should not be used to represent the legal boundaries of property under Parks jurisdiction. If you would like to view all City property under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks, please visit NYC OpenData.

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