Ravenswood Playground

Ravenswood Playground is a 2.76-acre playground in the Ravenswood section of Long Island City/Astoria, near 12th Street and 34th Avenue. The playground serves the Ravenswood Houses, a public housing development, as well as the surrounding residential community.

The Ravenswood neighborhood takes its name from a 19th-century estate whose grounds once occupied this section of the Queens waterfront. The area's transformation from rural estates to industrial district to residential community mirrors the broader development pattern of western Queens.

The playground features play equipment, basketball courts, and open areas serving a diverse community that includes public housing residents and the growing number of families in nearby market-rate housing. The playground provides common ground for these different populations.

Western Queens' explosive residential growth has increased pressure on existing recreation facilities, making playgrounds like Ravenswood increasingly important as the surrounding population density rises. Community advocates continue to push for additional park space in this rapidly developing area.

Ravenswood Playground serves the daily needs of families in a community defined by its diversity and its ongoing transformation, providing the essential outdoor recreation that makes urban living with children possible.