Millbrook Playground

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Adventures NYC Goes X-treme

Parks & Recreation and Backpacker Magazine brought outdoor adventure to the five boroughs on June 16 with Adventures NYC. Thousands of thrill-seeking New Yorkers gathered in Central Park and in parks throughout the five boroughs to enjoy half-pipe BMX shows, live entertainment, hiking expeditions, and kayaking during the city’s third annual celebration of outdoor pursuits.

Throughout the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to bike and hike their way through Central Park as well as climb a rock wall and paddle across Bethesada Lake in kayaks. Visitors also experienced the thrills of a trampoline show by the Flying Ace All-Stars and BMX tricks by the Red Bull Riders, and children and families took advantage of arts and crafts, science activities, and an obstacle course.

To kick off the 2007 GET FIT-TED helmet distribution and safety awareness campaign, the Department of Transportation distributed 1,000 free NYC helmets. While supplies last, free NYC helmets, which come in adult and children sizes, will be fitted and distributed at community events, and through 311. The distribution is possible thanks to a $50,000 donation from Target, which allowed DOT to purchase 6,000 helmets.

Designed to highlight New York City’s vast diversity of parkland throughout the five boroughs, Adventures NYC also brought a Forever Wild hike to Van Cortlandt Park, an insect safari for children to Marine Park in Brooklyn, a study of the living forest in Queens, and a Nature Knowledge hike to Staten Island. These borough events were all in addition to Central Park’s kayaking and rock-climbing attractions.

This year’s Adventures NYC was sponsored by Backpacker, Merrell, Be Energy Bar, Bear Naked, Organic Valley, Metro, and radio stations Q104 and WKTU.

On June 13, Commissioner Benepe joined City Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito, Manager of the Mill Brook Housing Development Allison Williams, and students from P.S. 43 to break ground on $1.4 million in renovations at Millbrook Playground in the Bronx.

Funding for this project was allocated by Mayor Bloomberg and former City Council Member Philip Reed. The new design will transform the playground into a cohesive design, reduce the amount of pavement and soften the edges with new plantings. The existing trees will be incorporated into larger planting beds to increase water percolation and aeration of the root zone.

A spray shower area and new play equipment will be installed to meet the needs of all user groups. The structures and equipment will comply with all current safety and ADA standards. A fitness unit will be incorporated into the design. New decorative pavements will provide for a unified design.

Millbrook Playground is named for the surrounding housing complex, and was originally constructed by the New York City Housing Authority in 1959.

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