I'm starting this series with an ode to Ennis, the closest playground to where I live, and luckily, a great one!

It's got about all you could ask for from a local playground: great play equipment, lots of benches, fun splash pad / water features, a small turf area, a few tables, and a pretty nice basketball court.

It's one of the only open public gathering spots in this immediate area, located right in the middle of a quiet-ish mixed use block, between homes and warehouses and rows of garbage trucks.

Ennis is not only a great spot to bring small kids, but a neighborhood hangout for pickup basketball, picnics, birthday parties and more.

We go all the time, and see lots of familiar faces; we've met several other families that are regulars, and one even invited us to a summer BBQ! It's smaller and more hyperlocal in character than e.g. Prospect Park playgrounds or JJ Byrne in Park Slope, so it feels easier to get to know people.

I also play basketball there on occasional mornings around 9am…reach out if you're in the area and would like to join sometime!