Friends of Annie Playground (Meadowbrook)

Nestled between Nathan Hale HS and the Meadowbrook public pool is the Friends of Annie playground... a must-visit location. The history of it's namesake is a tragic one. Annie Yasuda passed away unexplainably in 2001. In memory of Annie's love of playgrounds, the Yasuda family raised funds in 2004 and contributed to improving the rotting and rusty playground that previously existed in that spot.

My general rule is to describe the one thing that makes each playground excellent and/or unique, but I could write volumes about this one. Alas, the crown jewel at this fun-yard is probably the sandbox sculpture wall. You can breach the hill behind it to get on top for a majestic view of the entire playground. If you are big enough, you can jump or climb back down the face of the sculpture wall and into the soft sand below. For a split-second you can feel like a superhero!

Aside from the stupendous sandbox and sculpture wall, this location has a small structure for tots with a toddler swing-set and a doubles teeter-totter adjacent to it. A bigger structure sits nearby with normal swings and a merry-go-round. All of these structures are PlayBooster by Landscape Structures, except for one gym off in the corner that is a Kompan Galaxy Enif set that is pretty hard to negotiate.

As previously stated, there are multiple gems here, including a ring fling at the end of the monkey-bars which lead up to the massive structure and so many slide options it'll make your head spin. It has recycled rubber walkways running through it and a wood-chip floor to make tumbling and high drops more comfy. Furthermore, it sits next to an open grassy field - so chasing and running are encouraged without the fear of traffic or crowds. Before you leave, make sure you stop at the mosaic mural near the big structure and say a silent thank you to Annie and the Yasuda family for turning their sadness into everyone's joy.