West Playground

What was here before?

This area, including this site was once marshland, south of the town of Gravesend.  Gravesend was the first English settlement in New York. Founded in 1645 by Lady Deborah Moody (c.1583-1659), Gravesend was a self-sufficient community that lasted until 1894 when it was finally annexed by the City of Brooklyn. Many canals and streams were filled in the 20^th century as the area developed.

This site was formerly the property of Fred C. Trump (1905–1999), businessman and president of Trump Construction Company.

How did this site become a playground?

The land was donated to the City for park purposes in 1951. The playground was designed to serve the rapidly increasing population of the surrounding neighborhood, where Trump’s forty-acre, twenty-three-building complex, Beach Haven Housing development had recently been completed.

At the time of opening, the property included basketball and ice-skating surfaces, play equipment, and a wading pool.   

West Playground featured a small wooden play area, basketball half-courts, a baseball diamond, fences, and benches. A tree-lined walkway curves through the park, leading to a larger open area with three large play structures, a toddler zone, game tables, grassy seating areas, swings, a handball court, diverse trees, and spray showers surrounded by concrete half-pillars. In 1986, new facilities were added along with new landscaping, and in 1996, the playground was upgraded with new handball court walls, repainting, and fencing. A new restroom was installed in 2025.

Who is this playground named for?

The playground is named for its location on West and West First Streets along Avenue Z. West Street, originally split into northern and southern segments, was established in the mid-to-late 1800s that led from the town of Gravesend. The northern segment, now Dahill Road, was named for its position relative to eastern and central Brooklyn's street grid. West Street served as a reference point for naming surrounding streets, and despite changes, it continues to influence the area's layout.