Domino Park

Description

Domino Park is located at 300 Kent Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Parking must be found on the street. The park is 1/4 mile along the East River, with a five block riverside walk. Among other features there is an elevated walkway, dog park, playground, fountain and abundant seating.

Multi-stall restrooms are located in trailers across the street. Three or four steps are required to enter. None are handicapped-accessible.

The only food service in the park is The Tacocina, which opens at noon.

Checklist

Attraction Type:  parks, kid-friendly
Surface of lot:  *
Distance to venue:  *
Transportation to venue offered:  na
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  abundant seating
Paths and walkways:  a combination of smooth surfaces
Doors:  na
Number of floors:  na
Elevators:  na
Ramps:  ramp at north end of elevated walkway
Steps and staircases:  18 steps at south end of elevated walkway
Width of aisles:  na
Places to sit:  an abundance and variety of seating
Location of restrooms:  across the street from the park
Type of restroom:  multi-stall, not handicapped accessible - 3/4 steps to get in
Ease of entry and exit:  OK
Baby changing station:  no
Available food services:  Tacocina
Friendliness of staff:  we did not see any
Notes:  * Parking must be found on nearby streets

Read More

What happens when you happen to notice something online that piques your interest? You find out more about it and then decide that you have to see it! That’s what happened when I saw a short article about “Domino Park” in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Built on the site of the former Domino Sugar Refinery, I knew I had to go. Anyone  “of a certain age” probably remembers seeing it when driving on the Manhattan side of the East River. I certainly remember it as a child. Lucky for me that my “better half,” is willing to indulge me on these trips. Based on the fact that he had done work at this venue, he had more than a passing interest in going.

Located just north of the Williamsburg Bridge, the park is built on five acres along the East River. It is a “tribute to the diversity and resiliency of generations of Domino workers, their families and their neighborhood.” (website) 

Not really knowing anything for sure, we did our usual “thing” of going early on a Sunday morning. We have found that we avoid traffic and are usually able to find parking close to where we want to be. Today was no different; no traffic and plenty of street parking near the park. We have no idea of what the situation is on other days of the week, or other seasons. Learning that the park has already welcomed more than  two million visitors since its opening in 2018, we can only surmise that it gets pretty crowded. 

As we walked the one block from our car to one of the three entrances to the park, we were “wowed” by the view of the East River and Manhattan beyond. It is well worth the trip if only to walk the 1/4 mile walkway along the river and take in the views of the three East River bridges, and the Manhattan skyline. If you walk the entire loop around the park, it is about .8 mile. The abundant seating throughout is a real plus!

I had read about the many features of the park, including a playground, elevated walkway, fog bridge, fountain and seating steps, flex field, dog run, beach volleyball, and Tacocina. Being that it is still winter, the fountain was not on, beach volleyball was not available, and we did not find the fog bridge. A combination of the cold and early hour probably combined to  limit the number of people there. Everyone we saw wore masks and maintained good distances. Even the people in the dog park seemed to be following Covid guidelines.

The elevated walkway gives one a wonderful look at the park below and the expansive views. The south end of the walkway requires 18 steps to access it.  A ramp at the north end is easily handicapped-accessible.

The playground is wonderful! It is comprised of innovative experiences that were designed to resemble parts of the original factory. It uses wood reclaimed from the original refinery walls, aluminum molds made from salvaged valve wheels and graphics based on genuine Domino factory signage (website). The kids we saw seemed to be having  a great time!

We will be sure to visit again when the weather is considerably warmer. Hopefully we will get to see the fountains and fog bridge! 

The only food service in the park is the Tacocina, which opens at noon. There seem to be a variety of eating establishments nearby, none of which were open this early.

The only downside, for someone with a mobility challenge is the restrooms. At present they are located in two trailers across the street from the actual park. Both trucks have multi-stall restrooms. Neither of them are handicapped-accessible. They require three or four steps to enter and neither have handicapped-accessible stalls. We hope that more permanent, handicapped-accessible restrooms are in the plans.

As always, we at Destination:Accessible, advise you to visit a venue’s website, http://www.dominopark.com">www.dominopark.com, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.” 

Location

Nearby