NYC Footy Neighborhood Spotlight: Baruch Playground Field In LES
Hey Footy Family,
As part of an effort to be more useful in our emails, we will be regularly featuring field and location "spotlights" that give you a bit of the cultural surroundings of a particular footy field.
Plus, now that summer registration has been unleashed to the masses, we thought it might be wise to parse through the admittedly long list of fields and give you some of the highlights so you can find the best field (and watering hole) for your team.
Up First: Baruch Playground on the Lower East Side
Footy Players at Baruch Playground
The Field:
A quiet field wedged in an alcove with the Williamsburg Bridge and the East River as your backdrop. Right off the main strip of E Houston ST, the field is one of the locations where we run both Footy Leagues and our partner BetterPlayer practice program.
Having been recently renovated, the field is in excellent condition, with enough space for two 6v6 or 7v7 games to run simultaneously.
Since the field is tucked away from the crowds, with the pair of regulation goals always on site, Baruch Playground is an excellent place to grab some friends for a practice and a picnic over the weekend. Or grab your team's goalie and just take shots at them for an hour. Trust me, they love it.
Fun Fact: The field is located where NYC's first public bathhouse and pool was built in 1901. Some say, you can still hear the spectral whispers of lifeguards long past yelling "No running!" to this very day.
The Neighborhood:
Whether you’re looking for a sunny patio, a string lit garden, or a bustling dive, you’ll find all of the above within a short walk of the field, including one of my all time favorites.
The Summit Bar Patio
The Summit Bar is an absolute gem that maintains a quaint but upscale environment through a balance of great food, excellent cocktails (I recommend The Matador), an incredibly endearing staff who all happen to be soccer fans, and most importantly, freshly popped popcorn at every table. What more do you want. They have space in the front as well as a cozy (heated in the Winter) back-patio, which you can reserve if you DM them on Instagram.
Royale Bar back patio
Royale is only one block further North, which has a busy dive bar vibe, but with a massive back deck that spans two floors and can covered and so it’s even enjoyable in the rain. Don’t be fooled by the laid back vibe, Royale was featured in The Infatuation for having one of the best burgers in town.
Ace Bar
Ace Bar is another great spot on 5th street that has darts, pool, pinball, and plenty of other games. If none of these fit your fancy, just head West from the field on E Houston St. and by 1st ave you'll have run into more bars than you will know what to do with.
Directions:
Subway: The closest stop to the field is the Delancy St - Essex St stop, where both the F and J trains stop. The other best bet is coming off of the 4, 5, and 6 trains, which stop at Bleeker St.
Bus: The M14D, which you can catch along 14th street and is your best bet if you're taking the L train. The M21 runs all along E Houston St from West to East and will get you just a block away from the field.
Bike: The bike path that runs up and down the East River is only one block away from the field, as is the Williamsburg bridge, which will let you out only 3 blocks from the field if you bike or walk over it. As always, you can take a Citibike, as there is a station literally at the field.
Thanks for listening.
- James
Get Kicking!
As always, we'd love any feedback you have about the fields, how to get there, or any hidden gems in the area. We promise to keep your secrets safe within our email blasts.
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