If you live or grew up on the upper west side of Manhattan, you will likely recognize these hippos. I always considered this to be our backyard playground and an important landmark in our neighborhood. We had a couple of our kids’ birthday parties there; out of town family visitors always came with us to Hippo; we played at the playground year-round and went sledding down the nearby hill on snow days. Some days Hippo Playground was our only destination; other times it was a stop along the way. Whatever the weather, we could often be found there, when my boys were young babies through their school age years. It’s one of the places that still evokes memories of my early days as a parent.
One bright sunny day while sitting on the edge of the sandbox at Hippo Playground, I struck up a conversation with another mom. Her little girl was playing in the sand near my kids and husband. We talked about mundane things such as the weather, how much we loved the playground, what the kids were making in the sand. She was wearing large, dark sunglasses and a wide-rimmed sunhat. She had an electric smile. I was just enjoying the opportunity to speak with another mom. A little while after she and her daughter had to leave, my husband came and sat beside me, asking if I had enjoyed my conversation with Diane Keaton. I sure had – but without the awkwardness of being star-struck because somehow, I had no idea! We have all seen several other celebrities in the neighborhood and at the playgrounds over the years and sometimes I’ve even realized who they were.
Another place I’m reminded of nearly every time I’m on the street where it used to be is the Claremont Stables. Whenever we needed a fun way to pass some time, or when we were just leisurely walking to Central Park, it was a great place to stop. The doors were often open at the stables and my kids loved to watch the horses. Once in a while they would sign ‘horse’ and I knew exactly where to go. Sometimes we passed by just as someone was riding a horse out of the stable and to the park, so we would follow for a bit.
Just a few blocks away from us is a building that has two concrete lions outside – almost like the main branch of the public library, but much, much smaller. Sometimes my kids just wanted to go visit the lions. They’d get out of their stroller or ask me to pick them up so they could look at both lions at eye level. Once in a while on these visits, we’d sing songs about lions. Other times while walking by, one or both of my kids would say or sign ‘lion’ and ask to turn around because they had forgotten to wave hello as we passed.
Around the corner from us, there used to be a big toy store. They kept a train table out that kids could play with while inside. For a long time, whenever we got near that corner, my older son’s hands would stretch out from the stroller signing ‘train!’ It was a destination for sure – and a fun stop along the way. There were days I had to avoid going in that direction because we had limited time to get somewhere else, and of course there were days we couldn’t help but pass by when we didn’t have time to go in – I suppose childhood disappointments don’t all cause lifelong scars, but it sure felt like this would at the time! It was in this store where we bought our older son his first baby doll and toy stroller, his oversized stuffed sheepdog, and his Thomas the Tank Engine little suitcase on wheels. The baby doll was a surprise gift, as he often signed ‘baby’ and played so creatively with a variety of dolls and figurines. After many times just playing in the store, one day he signed ‘home’ while pointing to the suitcase and hugging the dog.
A bit further south there was another store that had toys and a train table upstairs. In Central Park, Mariner’s playground and the swings in the Pinetum were two other frequent destinations or stops along the way. Dinosaur playground in Riverside was often a playdate meeting spot. Two local public libraries had children’s areas we enjoyed. The neighborhood Barnes & Noble still has a nice children’s reading area…on days like today (MLK Jr. Day), going to read books somewhere other than home was key – change of scenery, new perspective, interesting people, teachable moments.
One of the things I have really appreciated about living in NYC with kids is the wide range of places to meet for playdates, as well as the opportunity to run into friends or meet new ones anywhere we went. We could just decide to take a walk and regardless of which direction we went, we could see someone we knew or pass a local landmark we loved. We might happen upon a peaceful protest or even plan to join one. We could watch a parade or runners in the marathon. Each day was an adventure. Some days we’d take a new route to a familiar place and discover a community garden, or another special stop along the way. We could see a celebrity and realize that their family time at these neighborhood places was very much like ours.