Cullen Bryant Park

Equipment by GameTime.

Surface: gravelly sand.

You know that movie trope where the nerdy girl with glasses and frumpy clothing gets a makeover and then comes down a curving staircase to stun everyone with her hidden beauty?

Located in a beautifully serene setting on the edge of a valley, the playground at Cullen Bryant Park is one Princess-Diaries-style makeover away from being one of East York’s best playgrounds.

The equipment here is not only old – I’d guess forty years – but also covered by a layer of graffiti and neglect that makes it seem not just old but forgotten.

Stairs on some parts of the structures show permanent depressions, like the kind you might see at an ancient church where the stone steps are worn away by centuries of foot traffic. The play surface is that awful mixture of sand and gravel that brings to mind the vacant lot in “The Outsiders” where Ponyboy was jumped by the Socs.

The kicker for me is a circular window on the large climber. Years ago, someone graffitied a smiley face on it. But over top of that, someone else graffitied a frown. Even the vandalism here has been vandalized.

It’s impressive how long the equipment has lasted, and honestly it’s not awful. But it’s hopelessly out of date. One smaller structure, intended for toddlers, has a staircase so steep it’s almost a ladder; clearly built in the era before safety was a consideration. And no, I’m not a safety nut, but there are countless examples around the city of playgrounds that balance safety and challenge effectively.

I don’t know who’s in charge of prioritizing playgrounds for rejuvenations according to the City’s “State of Good Repair” program…but I’m begging you, begging you to bump this one up the list. Cullen Bryant Park is itching to let her hair down, remove her glasses, and blow everyone away.