Brigadier General Charles Young Playground

W. 145 St. to W. 143 St., Lenox Ave., and Harlem River

Manhattan

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Brig. Gen. Charles Young Playground is a recreational pillar of the Harlem community. The park includes a field for football and soccer as well as softball/baseball, an array of handball courts, basketball diamonds and a mini soccer pitch. In the southwest corner of the park, a children's playground and spray shower also provides comfort and play, especially as a place to cool off on hot days.

This park, originally opened September 1944, is named for Brigadier General Charles Young. Brig. Gen. Young was an American military hero, diplomat, and cartographer who became the third African American to graduate from West Point in 1884. Later, he served on the home front in the Spanish-American War (1898) and served two tours during the Philippine Insurrection (1901-03). In 1906, Young became military attaché to Haiti, the first African American military attaché in United States history. This playground, along with the nearby 369th Regiment Armory, together celebrate African American military heritage.

Discover the history of Brigadier General Charles Young Playground

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