Riverside Park South is Getting Parkour Equipment

By Melissa A. Kay February 25, 2016

Riverside Park is getting an upgrade as part of the Gale Brewer funded plan. One of the many additions includes installing parkour equipment at 69^th and 70^th streets, according to DNAinfo.

Parkour is a unique practice founded in France in the 1990s, and involves using buildings and other urban infrastructure, like benches or railings, to swing, jump, vault, leap, and roll. It is very acrobatic and meant for older kids and teens. It has grown in popularity and now kids will have a safe place to practice.

The parkour equipment will come from the company, Lappset, which offers safer ways to practice parkour.There will also be a special padded surface beneath the equipment for added safety measures in case of slips and falls. New fencing and paving will also be installed to surround the area.

This addition is meant for teens and not for younger kids. Parks Department Landscape Architect Meredith Bracken said, "We feel that they’re [teens] underserved." She does note the difficulty of parkour saying, "It takes quite a bit of dexterity and practice."

The extensive Riverside Park South upgrade is planned to begin this summer, along with other remodeling throughout the park from 59^th – 72^nd streets. We can’t wait to see how things turn out!

Will you take your kids to try out this new parkour equipment? Do you like this idea or do you prefer traditional playground equipment?

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