Extinction Event: Dinosaur Playground

The triceratops and hadrosaur, in need of patching.

With a name like Dinosaur Playground, expectations run high in our house. We arrived at Riverside Park and 97th Street ready for a prehistoric adventure.

The swings still swing.

The reality: about half the playground is fenced off because of a sinkhole — one that, from what I've read, dates back to Hurricane Ida in 2021. The part that's open is in rough shape. With half of it fenced off, this place is well on its way to extinction.

The namesake dinosaurs, a fiberglass triceratops and a hadrosaur, are the only unique feature, and they have holes in them. Honestly, they look like they were built by a high school art class. They're not impressive in any way, which is a strange thing to say about a playground named after them.

Plenty of empty pavement.

Like the Classic Playground downriver, this one feels as though the city gave up on it. The good news is that a big renovation has been designed and approved, with more dinosaurs and better drainage. The less-good news is that it hasn't happened yet.

Verdict: very low ratings for now. We'll happily come back when the new dinos arrive.