Streeterville

The playground at Seneca Park, named Schulman Playground, is an amazing and unique playspace in Chicago. The current play structures were installed in May of 2021 and they reflect a modern and contemporary feel - coincidental with the location near the Museum of Contemporary Art. The fully enclosed play area features soft rubber surface that is molded and sculpted to be an actual play element in places and uses colors to divide the space into two halves. The northern half is designed for younger children but does not feature any single play structure but instead embeds elements directly into the surface. Slides, bridges, and a variety of steps are set low to the ground making them accessible to most and open-ended. There is also a set of the traditional toddler swings in this area. The other half of the play area features unique and custom play structures designed for older children. The structures appear to reflect nearby structures - a fire station and the John Hancock building - and are somewhat enclosed spaces with a variety of climbing elements and a large tube slide. The enclosed nature sometimes makes tracking your children difficult - especially in a busy playground - but makes for a wonderful experience of discovery and surprise. There are also some other climbing and traversing elements connected these structures. Finally, there is a standalone hammock style saucer swing and a trampoline element on this side of the play area. The play area is fully enclosed and the main play surface is soft rubber. There are a few large stones designed to be used as benches throughout the space. Although shaded by neighboring skyscrapers, the play area itself isn't shaded by trees and can be bright and sunny. This is a great playground and definitely a destination.

The playground at Lake Shore Park is a great playground in Streeterville. There is a small and simple play structure for younger children and a much larger structure for older children with a few slides, climbing elements, and more. There is also the standard set of Chicago Park swings (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat). The play area is fully enclosed and features great views of Lake Michigan (although the views are over the often jammed DuSable Lake Shore Drive...). The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches for seating. There are some trees that provide some shade and this playground is next to the fieldhouse for bathroom access. All in all, this is a great playground with great views.