Sweet Stuff on the Waterfront: Domino Park

Stairs, slide, and the East River beyond.

Domino Park stretches along the Williamsburg waterfront where the Domino Sugar Refinery once stood, and it has a series of playgrounds right on the water with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. The equipment is a little different from what you'll see elsewhere; it blends right into the industrial look of the old refinery. The main playground, by artist Mark Reigelman, follows the sugar-making process: kids go in as raw sugar cane and come out the other end as sugar cubes. My daughter did not know that, and did not need to.

Looking up through the web inside the “vacuum.” (Yes, I had to fish her out.)

Fog rising along the waterfront path, the old refinery behind.

The clubhouse structures are tall and enclosed, so visibility for parents is low. There's only one entrance, though, so there's nothing to worry about. Except, possibly, the spider-web net inside a mock industrial vacuum, where a kid can get stuck. Pro tip: there's a way to fish a kid out through the bottom. I know because I had to do it.

The random-jet splash pad.

The bike ride over — drawbridge in action!

Don't miss the mist bath along the water, where a cloud of fog seems to rise up from waves crashing on the rocks below. On a hot day it's magic. The splash pad has jets that fire at random, and kids love tearing through them trying to guess which one goes next, while parents enjoy a big seating area right alongside.

Running the waterfront path, Williamsburg Bridge overhead.

Peekaboo from the bottom of the tube slide.

The bathrooms are a bit of a walk across the street, but they're large individual stalls and they're spotless. There's plenty for parents to do nearby, and some days there's even a farmers market.

Astroturfin' it like an adult.

The cleanest public bathroom ever.

Verdict: very high marks. Worth the trip from anywhere in the city.