This pretty playground is tucked into the side of the hill in Morningside Park, overlooking a quiet stretch of road. 

The heavy rain on Saturday had left us in desperate need of playground time. The cold Sunday afternoon was a far cry from the spring weather earlier in the month, but such is the problem with New York City in March. After brunch in Harlem with my brother, we headed over to Morningside Park. 

We could see the bright green equipment from two blocks away, perched up on the hill. There were a few steps to get to the entrance, but a longer path around the back appears to have been stair-free. The playground itself is on two levels, which does make for some interesting terrain and climbing equipment. 

The first thing we saw though was the little concrete play town. Luckily I had a few matchbox cars in my pocket. This entertained our toddler for quite a while. The model village had ramps and roadways. It's a fairly unique feature as far as I am aware. 

The main playground area though was more interesting than your average park climbing equipment. The upper area of the playground connected to the lower level with elevated bridges. Stairs built into the ground allowed access to the lower level of the playground. This area was a bit of a sun trap and very warm on the brisk March day. 

The various bridges lead up to a central area where there are slides and climbing walls converging in one big multi-level standing platform.

The equipment was fairly new and in good condition. But it also wasn't anything too radical. The one side near the large central was easy access for adults to accompany children by way of stairs. The other side had some ladders which can be tricky depending on how tall you are. 

Overall, I appreciate the way this playground is built into the natural contours of the land.

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The playground was renovated in 2008 with a budget of more than $2m. The renovation made the the park accessible.