#71. OLD AND YOUNG IN THE PARK

#71. OLD AND YOUNG IN THE PARK 

With all the bad press that Washington Square Park sometimes gets, here’s a surprise: it can be a great place for Greenwich Village kids and for Greenwich Village seniors. 

 For the young it has three playgrounds: a small one for toddlers a big one for older kids, and The Mounds, a set of low hills covered with artificial grass to roll on, topped by a jungle gym of cables to climb on and hang from. 

But what for seniors? Most sunny weekday afternoons, I can count double digit numbers of wheelchairs and walkers. Today it was 5 wheelchairs, some attended by caregivers, and 6 walkers. And that was just in the east end of the Park. The draws? Rows of benches beneath leafy shade trees and a chance to chat with others and be part of the wider world. 

 I would welcome retirement here.