Yak Playground

You can find a few zebras in New York City, but only one Avenue Z. Z is for Zebra, and Zebra Playground is on Avenue Z between Nostrand Avenue and East 29th Street.

The word “zebra” derives from the Old Portuguese zevra, meaning “wild ass.” There are two main species of zebra, the plains zebra (Equus burchelli) and the true or mountain zebra (Equus zebra). A third zebra, called Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), despite its stripes, is only distantly related to the other two, but all are African.

Zebras range from four to six feet in height, and weigh as much as 600 pounds. Their characteristic black-and-white stripe patterns serve as a sort of camouflage, breaking up their silhouettes and making them harder for predators to recognize. Theories differ on whether the stripes better serve the zebra on an individual basis, or whether stripes of a herd running off in all directions make it difficult for a predator to focus on one animal.

The mountain zebra, once abundant, has been hunted to near-extinction. Physically the smallest species of zebra, they reach four feet at the shoulder. They are silver-white, with vertical black stripes on the neck and body and horizontal stripes on the legs, extending to the feet and intersecting on their hind legs to produce a characteristic grid pattern.

The second species, plains zebras, inhabit the flatlands of central and eastern Africa and travel in large herds. This species has several variations, some have stripes down to their hooves, while some are plain white and have no stripes at all.

Grevy’s zebra, the largest and third of the species, is named for Jules Grevy (1807-1891), who was President of France from 1879 to 1887. Growing to about five feet at the shoulder, this species has narrow and numerous stripes, and was once plentiful across Africa. Now the Grevy’s zebra inhabits the arid plains of eastern Africa and is nearly extinct.

Zebra Playground is also known as Sheepshead Bay Playground, after the surrounding area. Sheepshead Bay takes its name from the Sheepshead, a silvery, black-banded fish native to the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico. The scrappers of the sea, these aquatic creatures are known for attacking and killing much larger fishes than themselves. The name of Sheepshead Bay itself likely dates back to 1844, when Benjamin Freeman built the first hotel in the area, The Sheepshead.

This playground, jointly operated by the Board of Education and Parks, opened on October 28, 1961. Parks officially added Zebra to the name in the spring of 2000. That year, Council Member Michael Nelson funded a $1 million renovation. New play equipment, spray showers, picnic benches, surfacing, fencing, trees, handball walls, basketball courts, swings and flowers make this one of the most appealing playgrounds in the area. A wall ornamented with colorful fish adds a playful element to the renovation.