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Explore Your Park > Sixteen Sycamores Playground

Sixteen Sycamores Playground

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Schermerhorn St. bet. Nevins St. and 3 Ave.

Brooklyn

Directions: Google Maps | MTA Trip Planner

Acres: 0.57

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.
This Schermerhorn Street playground, located between Nevins Street and Third Avenue, was aptly named by Parks in 1995 for the sycamores abounding in it. While several of the trees are clearly younger than the rest, the taller ones are all sycamores, also known as plane trees. Found in North America, Asia, and Europe, sycamores are especially popular in the United States as ornamental trees. Capable of growing over one hundred feet in height, sycamores possess trunks up to eight feet in diameter. The inspiration for the title of Betty Smith’s classic book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the sycamore – scrappy, sheltering and enduring – is a deserving namesake and an unparalleled source of shade. Originally acquired by the City in 1934 in connection with the construction of a subway, this site was owned by the Board of Transportation until it was assigned to Parks in 1961. In 1935, workers in the brand-new Works Progress Administration (WPA) planned and constructed

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Directions to Sixteen Sycamores Playground

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  • Sixteen Sycamores Playground

Sixteen Sycamores Playground Weather

  • Mon
    Isolated Tstms
    86°F
  • Tue
    Chance Tstms
    80°F
  • Wed
    Chance Tstms
    78°F
  • Thu
    Sunny
    73°F

7-day forecast

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