New Playground Now Open in Seaside Park, New Lighting Is Next

A new children’s playground has opened at the recreation area between 13th and 14th avenues in Seaside Park, formally known as Moe Levine Field and Park.

The equipment was recently delivered, installed and is now open to the public. Nestled between the borough’s tennis courts and baseball field, the $174,000 playground was donated to the borough by an anonymous donor. The benefactor requested they remain unrecognized, but that the equipment be oriented toward children in the 6-to-12 year-old age group.

The new playground at the 13th-14th Avenue recreation area in Seaside Park, Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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“We were very excited to open the brand new playground, which is up-and-running this week,” said Mayor John Peterson at a borough council meeting last Thursday. “There were a lot of kids there today, and it seems like people are already enjoying it.”

The generous donation came as the borough had already been discussing upgrading the playground equipment at the site, as well as some of its infrastructure – most notably the park’s aging lighting system, which has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The work on the playground came alongside the installation of new conduits for the lights. Borough officials have said the light poles themselves are in good enough condition to remain, and tests including core sampling of the inner materials confirmed they would be able to support new, modern lights.

The new lighting will most likely be installed this fall, officials said.

Light stanchion at the 13th-14th Avenue recreation area in Seaside Park, Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The new playground at the 13th-14th Avenue recreation area in Seaside Park, Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The new playground at the 13th-14th Avenue recreation area in Seaside Park, Aug. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

“The LED lighting is going to be installed after the season since that would entail shutting down the ball field, and we’re still in the middle of the season now,” said Peterson. “We’re looking forward to that next phase.”

Borough officials are also considering, as part of their long-term plans, improving the park’s baseball diamond to ease flooding issues that occasionally crop up there.