John Jay Park is great. Saturday May 31st they had kids day. With three small children in tow we headed to the park for some time outside. There were kids everywhere and lots of bouncing things for them to jump on. I'm not sure what they're called. Being with friends and with so many children around I didn't take photos. Frankly we had our hands full with the kids. The highlight of the day was the free popcorn that the kids patiently waited in line to receive. When it was our turn in line to get free popcorn the employees said they were done making popcorn for the day. Our littlest had such a tizzy the employees started making more popcorn for the rest of the children that had been waiting! Meltdown averted. I'll definitely keep an eye out for Kids Day at John Jay Park next year and get there early. read more

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This park is one of a few parks in the upper east side that has handball courts. There are also good benches to sit on.

One of my favorite parks in NYC is John Jay Park. The is located East 76th and 78th Streets, and between the FDR Drive and a street called Cherokee Place on my favorite place in Manhattan, the Upper East Side. The large playground inhabits almost half of the park's total property. The residual half has basketball courts, handball courts, pool, and bath house. I have played handball on these courts along with basketball. A park to visit if you are ever in the Upper Eastside enjoying an easy day. read more

John Jay Park - Front entrance - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

I've passed by this park many times during my training runs, have stopped by to get a breather, and water at the fountains which actually work. It's a large park located by the east river between 78th and 77th streets. Plenty for the kids to play on and enjoy. Main part of the park has swings, jungle gyms, and playground structures to have fun on. Across the way there is a larger area with handball courts, tennis court, and basketball courts. There is a swimming pool here too with working bathrooms. In between there are benches and picnic tables, along with some camel statues and smaller kiddie play areas. Plenty of shady spots where the adults can sit to converse and keep an eye on them. It's like a central gathering point for many of the families in the area, especially those with small kids. Along with some of the seniors who live nearby that were sitting on the benches relaxing. read more

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This family oriented community city park offers a great choice for those living in the Upper East Side of NYC. They have a swimming pool, playground, tennis courts, basketball court and areas for just taking a walk. The 145 foot pool has been open to the public since 1940. read more

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It's located on 77th st by FDR In Manhattan. On York ave is a block away and if you need a transportation, M31 is Recommended. (Access to midtown west side through 57th street) This park has a nice view of Queens /River calm the park Inc outdoor pool for the summer only, Squash, kids park, splash, benches, set tables and chairs. By the entrance, Icecream truck is standing during the summer time - $4 for one cone. Over all, most of the visitors are from the neighborhood so it's pretty safe at this location. On York Ave, There are pretty of place to eat or visit. Library, cafe, pizza, pharmacy, bank etc read more

What a gem in the midst of hectic Manhattan! I had an appointment around this area but was like an 1hr early... (Can't trust those darn 6 trains! Ha Ha). So I walked by this park and noticed it has a public pool! How awesome is that? Lots of play area for kids and handball/racket ball court area for adults looking to show off their skills... John Jay Park is pretty clean, has lots of benches overlooking the FDR & east river... BUT the coolest thing I found... The park is surrounded by Pokestops AND potentially a "Clefairy" nest!!! So... Pokemon Go fanatics, go hunting! (Before it changes!) Happy "Clefairy" hunting!! Yay! read more

John Jay Park - Awesome view, slight breeze = peacefulness! - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

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It's true what they say about rats, here. Don't come after sunset, or you'll have to share your space with plenty of rodents. The playground is ok, and kids can play with a variety of structures. Not big enough, but better than nothing. Nice view of the East River, a which you can enjoy sitting down on one of the few benches available. read more

This is a great spot for bodyweight exercise (calisthenics). If you want to see what it looks like, here is a blog post with video of the outdoor gym at John Jay Park: https://yoked.net/john-jay-park-outdoor-gym The park is clean, lively with the neighborhood kids and has great views of the east river and Queens. read more

Nice park but there are problems. It never opens on time so if you want to take your dog there or visit before you go to work it's hit and miss. The other problem is the major one. It has a free pool so it attracts a lot of ghettoness that otherwise would not be in the area. read more

We like this park a lot, although I agree with Jack that it's more of a playground. It also has a swimming pool! There are several areas of play for kids, including a big sandbox. The ground is covered in the typical playground rubber as opposed to cement. There is also some courts as well. Very well shaded area and during the day they have two water hydrants that cool the kids off. One thing to note: The kids at the Ronald McDonald House call this park Ratatouille Park because at dusk, the rats come out in droves. We have been there at dusk twice and haven't seen the rats, but if you have Musophobia, you might want to stick to the daytime hours. :-) read more

John Jay Park - A piece of playground equipment at John Jay Park - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

John Jay Park is a quiet, green space close to York avenue, between 78th st and 76th st, in the middle of Yorkville. It features: -two swimming pools, oper during summer season; -beautiful playground with games for children; -basketball court; -many benches all around and within the park; -great views of East river, Roosevelt Island and Queens; -the breeze coming from the river during hot summer days; -well manteined public restrooms. Awesome spot for relax and enjoy the green shadows of trees. At the entrance of the park, on 78th, Cherokee pl and 77th street there's the beautiful Cherokee apartments, with light green iron balconies. Formerly named "Shively sanitary apts", they were built in 1910 for poor New Yorkers suffering from tubercolosys; at the time, the only treatment for TB was fresh air and sunlight. So the tenements were built close to the East River, where residents could catch cool air. Then sold and turned into co ops because too expensive. The park and the whole three blocks surrounding it are a gem in the hood. read more

John Jay Park - Beautiful John Jay Park. - Parks Near Me - New York, New York

This park is great since they re-did it. It has an amazing sandbox that looks relatively clean. The sprinklers are great - placed all over the park. The also have a closed in area where children can run free - more or less. They also have a fair number of swings. The crawl on camels just outside the park are also a nice touch. The pool is also very nice, but the lines can get long before the afternoon session. It is very clean and well maintained. The only negative is the lack of a regular bathroom. They have only porto-poties and they are disgusting - like a poop bomb just exploded inside of it. read more

5 stars for the location and amenities. What sometime lacks- cleaneless and safety. Not sure why they not open dogs run zone in a separate section from kids play zone, since the owners allow our 4 legged friends to do their n.1 and n2. Where small hands crawl and play. A couple of times I asked a dog owner out of kids playground. I think that in particular with small babies can cause stomach infections problems and also does not smell nice, when owners allow pets to urinate on the side of the children slide...I think a doggies play zone can be the solution.. also, after large parties is PARENTS responcibility to clean up and pack up and take all mess away from the playground and often they celebrate and leave food scraps everywhere on the playground, together with pizza boxes and that attracts large rats - spotted a couple, and tons of pigeons. Maybe when another big celebration day is coming up, parents may think of chip in for playground cleaning services to be aware and clean up after the party is over? Remembered in the summer- small rubber balloon being pulled out of some baby's mouth. Colorful but pretty deadly if swallowed.. and a mountain of food scraps all over the ground cause they tried stashing pizza boxes into a regular trash bin...designed not for that waste obviously. . read more

I plan to review a variety of Manhattan parks, with an emphasis on their playgrounds. I'm starting with John Jay Park, since it is the one I go to the most. John Jay Park is a great local playground. A brief rundown of what it has: A small slide structure intended for very young kids. Another small slide structure for slightly older kids. A triangular structure in its own large area intended for ages 2 through 5, featuring small rock walls, various straight slides, and some climbing bars. This is probably the highlight of the park, and has a unique layout that kids seem to enjoy exploring. It's located in its own fenced area, which helps for parents who don't want to have to chase their kids back and forth over a wide space. A couple of structures that are typical of most parks: Various pillars holding up square platforms at various heights, which lead to various ways to get up, down and across (ladders, sliding poles, suspended bridges, monkey bars, circular and straight slides, etc.). These are fun for the kids, but don't merit a separate trip from outside of the area. Swings of various sorts, including a couple of tire swings, which I don't think I've seen at any other NYC parks. A standard-sized sandbox. The park also features a nice view across the FDR to the East River, which my kids enjoy checking out to look at boats going by. There are also wide open spaces good for teaching a kid to ride a bike, shoot hoops, hit a tennis ball, etc. There's also a good-sized public swimming pool. The park has a good quantity of trees, so it tends to be well-shaded on hot days. It also has a couple of water features: a large rain-creating sprayer and a smaller fountain in a corner. If you live in the area, I strongly recommend checking this park out with your kids. It's a great alternative to Carl Schurz Park, which is about six blocks north. If you don't live in the area, but like to find parks for your kids in other areas that are worth traveling to (which is something I do), I think this one qualifies. You probably wouldn't come regularly, but at least a one-time visit will add some variety to your kids' play. Another reviewer mentioned the rats. I have seen this once myself; when the park empties out in the late evening, the rodents make themselves at home here. Be forewarned, as they can seemingly be pretty aggressive, including getting uncomfortably close to a stroller left sitting on its own. read more

A charming park in the Upper East Side + a FREE pool! Amenities: 1. FREE & CLEAN POOL! I've been here multiple times and it's always been very clean 2. Cute playground for kids - it has a bunch of really cool stuff like a sandbox + sprinklers 3. Tennis backboards 4. Basketball courts 5. Exercise equipment - pull up bars and some leg press machines Note: 1. A lot of people have said this park has a tennis court but not really - they do have a court in the middle of the basketball courts but the net isn't up. I saw some people playing and they had it up one time - I haven't seen it up since so maybe you have to bring your own net? Not sure. Tip: 1. You can't use the pool unless you have a lock to put all your stuff so bring one! If you live nearby just leave everything at home and just wear your towel! read more

Giant playground. Two outdoor swimming pools. Multiple tennis courts. River-view benches. Live across street. Don't have kids. Have dogs. Dogs only allowed after 9 pm. Diseased rats come out at 9 pm. That's about it. read more

I've been coming to this pool since a little girl, in my opinion it's one of the cleanest public pools. My only complaint is the rude staff, that seem to be a bunch of unprofessional immature employees . I always come early and leave early, because I like to shower before and after entering the pool. But once they have enough people inside the pool they close down the showers so when you leave you won't be able to shower. In my opinion the ladys are just extremely lazy and hate mopping after people, they constantly are complaining about people coming back wet. Um hello ... It's the POOL, and it's YOUR JOB to mop the floor and keep the lockers clean. Today I left at 6 and the showers were shut down and one of the woman working there was literally cleaning the showers with dirty mop water. I snapped a picture of her and another employer asked her if she changed the mop water. Disgusting, makes me question the pool water now , I'm going to be looking else where for a pool !!! read more

a nice small family friendly park that you dont need a family to enjoy. on the upper east side in the seventies near fdr dr and ist ave comprised of over 3 acres of space with a large playground, basketball , handball courts and a swimming pool that i personally would never swim in. park is well maintained by nyc parks dept and it gets really crowded during nice summer weather days. i have played basketball pick up games a few times but after 10 minutes in the beating sun i left the b court to take shade and rest at the nearby benches while watching the lovely nannies deal with the spoiled brats. overall a nice park on the upper east side. read more

The park is now unfortunately ridden with pot smoke, at all hours of the day, from early morning on. The exercise area also brings a non-child friendly crowd to the park and would be better used for a grassy area for dogs, as so many families in the neighborhood got puppies during the pandemic. That use would be much more family-friendly than single men working out, playing music, carrying open containers and smoking in an area adjacent to a playground. The playground, itself, however, is quite nice. read more

As we live in the neighborhood, my kids play here daily. It's a great playground with varied areas good for different ages. There's an exterior area good for riding bikes and scooters, and the courts which we don't use. In the summertime, the playground attracts hordes of out of neighborhood people once the pool opens which isn't my favorite. read more

I spend a lot of time in John Jay park. Yorkville residents deserve better. It is very frustrating to see beautiful parks in so many other areas of NYC that are so much better than our local playground. We have the lowest amount of park space per resident than the entire city. They keep building high priced high rises in this neighborhood. The residents are contributing a boat load in income and real estate taxes. And where do our kids gets have to play? In a park that has cracked concrete, basket ball hoops that are breaking and a waterfront that is literally falling into the East River. We deserve better. read more

Looks like a lovely park, with a lot of playground equipment. The pools seem pretty well attended in the summer. Agreed with other people that if you're looking for more park than playground, keep going along the river till you hit Carl Schurz @ 86th Street. But John Jay is a nice alternative. Don't miss the Cherokee Apartments on Cherokee Place - love the architecture. read more

John Jay Park is really a playground with the heart (and the name) of a park; there's no green underfoot but greenery does border the space. In addition to the two outdoor public pools, pool house with restrooms, and children's play area with swings, there are also elliptical type exercise machines for adults, pull-up bars, paddleball/basketball courts, picnic tables and benches overlooking the East River/Roosevelt Island, and a pedestrian bridge to cross over FDR Drive to the East River Pathway. This park and its surrounding streets are relatively quiet (except when the nearby schools let out) and definitely Max-approved. read more

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This park is basically in my backyard as I live so close to this park. In the summer, I swim my early morning laps at John Jay Park's beautiful Olympic size (50 meters) pool. If you are a swimmer sign up for the early bird/night owl swim program. Otherwise, the pool opens at around 11AM for the general public. I can't imagine completing 2 lengths when the pool is filled with the general public. The Park has a plaza with London Plane trees and park benches and even an area with bars for pull-ups and a rubber mat for stomach exercises. At sunset, the park turns into a rat haven. You will see rats foraging through the full trash bags which are loosely stored in the park plaza near a lightly wooded area. This is where the rat nests are located. This is a beautiful urban park but WARNING: Come sunset be prepared to see rats wandering around the park plaza. The city obviously knows about the rodents as you will find dozens of rats traps. This park has ZERO squirrels and dozens of rats nests which yield even more rats. This park should embrace the rats and be renamed: John Rat Park. **10-2018 UPDATE: John Jay Park moved their trash storage area away from the wooded area (rat nests) and towards the center concrete area of the park. The rats simply stroll through the park from their nests to the full trash bags which are still loosely strewn on the ground, in the center concrete area of the park. read more

It was the most terrible experience in the history of my adventures Pool dirty ! human hair ! It was just a nightmare! P.S.the people who worked there were just very good & amazing ! read more

Definitely do not go there if you don't like children. There is a relaxing area of the park, but there are so many kids screaming and running rampant. read more

not so much of a park as a play ground. but it is nice to have a closure like this on the upper east side

Great park to workout in early in the morning. I was able to set up my TRX very easily.

I am troubled by the condition of the playground area. The facility is great, with lots of payground equipment, it is not being maintained. It is so dirty and covered with trash that I feel it is becoming unsafe for my children. This is a terrible reflection on the investment the city made by improving the park a few years ago.I love the New York City parks. They are a second home for my children and their only real backyard to play in. I want to help keep them maintained at the level of cleanliness that I would treat my own yard (if I had one) I am writing as I don't think this park would be something the city could be proud of in its current state. read more