Hippos on the Jogging Loop: Safari Playground

A hippo mid-yawn, with a little one in tow.

Some playgrounds you plan a whole Saturday around. Safari Playground is not one of those, and that's perfectly fine. It's the one we coast into halfway through a jogging-stroller lap of Central Park, right about when somebody in the stroller announces that it is her turn to run. Perched on a little hill near West 91st Street with the Reservoir just past the fence, it's a very pleasant place to be told that.

The north-end mound: one steep side, endless climbs.

The theme is a river full of hippos. Big hippos surface out of a blue rubber “river,” some yawning, some just eyes and ears poking up, and a couple of play canoes are beached along the banks. Kids take to the whole setup instantly: the hippos are for climbing, and the canoes are for paddling to wherever a four-year-old needs to go that day. The Conservancy rebuilt the place in 2019 and cast new hippos from molds of the old ones, but they've been loved hard since. Several are showing their age, with duct tape patching holes in the fiberglass. Nobody under three feet tall seems to mind.

Here's the insider tip. At the north end there's a rubbery mound with one really steep side. Officially it's landscaping. Unofficially it's the best feature in the place: kids will spend ages sprinting up it, sliding back down, and trying again. It is, and I say this with real affection for the slide nearby, more fun than the actual slide.

The canoe fleet, beached among the hippos.

The splash pad is about average — push the button, get sprayed, repeat. And there are no bathrooms, which is the thing to plan around. Bring a child who has already gone, or know your route to the nearest park facilities before you commit.

Verdict: not worth crossing the city for, but if you're passing by, stop. It's a fine neighborhood stop, but not a hidden gem and not a destination.