By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side entrance and pathway into Central Park will be closed until 2026 for ongoing restoration work on a playground within the park.
The New York City Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy are currently overseeing the restoration of the space, which has been known as the Abraham and Joseph Spector Playground, near West 85th Street and Central Park West.
“This project will re-envision the playground as a play and family gathering space connected to the surrounding landscape, taking cues from existing features, including rock outcrops and mature trees,” according to the conservancy.
A description of the project on the conservancy’s website says the area was “formerly known as” the Spector Playground, but it does not say what it will be called after the renovations.
The work, which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026, will include a new protected irrigation system, new benches, pavement, drinking fountains, landscaping, new play equipment, and a new perimeter fence.
The restoration work will also acknowledge “the prominence of this playground within the Seneca Village site,” according to the conservancy. Seneca Village was located on land that was later turned into Central Park, and it was the largest community of free African-American property owners in pre-Civil War New York. In recent years, research has found that the area currently occupied by the playground near West 85th Street would have been the center of activity within Seneca Village.
While there aren’t many specifics on how the new play space will work Seneca Village’s history into its remodeling, the conservancy’s description of the project says there will be a “reconfiguration of the playground entrance area to better accommodate Seneca Village-related gatherings, tours, programming.”
There is now a recommended temporary path and entrance to the park almost directly next to the closed off 85th Street entrance on Central Park West. If you want to enter the park at this location to head north, you walk up the temporary path and turn left at the Seneca Village Site sign.
The entire area in between the 86th Street Transverse and the now-blocked off pathway into the park at 85th Street will remain fenced off during the duration of the work.
You can find out more about the playground restoration project — HERE.
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My nephews loved going to this playground because it was good for “older” children (over 5 y.o.). Several nearby playgrounds are for the under 5 crowd. We’re all rooting for a spot for kids who want more advanced play! Especially because the playground just across the street is for young children.
Great, this playground was in desperate need of a renovation
I
Why is there no recognition of the peoples who lived here prior to Seneca Village?
Why does it take so long to renovate?
Why does it take more than a year to renovate?
It’s unbelievable — they’re destroying a community space in what was once Seneca Village, just to pour more concrete for rich white kids. The irony is brutal: Central Park itself was created by stealing land from a thriving Black community. Today, the UWS side of the park isn’t even a real park anymore; it’s just a network of playgrounds for the elite. Stop funding Central Park’s playground projects — enough is enough.
You do know this project merely replaces / updates a current playground which is basically unused due to neglect, right? This improves the community space with at least a stated goal to better honor Seneca village’s historical significant. Currently there is only a small sign referencing Seneca Village.
Genuinely asking – do you know of any new playground installs on the upper west side of the park in the last 15 years? I don’t believe any additional space has been given over for new playgrounds in a long time.