If you've driven past the Duck Pond playground in Ridgewood any time since March, you've seen the fencing, the idle excavator, and the increasingly impatient group of parents checking the town's Facebook page for updates. As of this Saturday, the wait is over.
The splash pad — the park's biggest draw every summer since it opened in 2014 — has been fully rebuilt after a corroded water line forced its closure this spring. The new system uses the same nozzle layout kids already know, but on updated plumbing that the Parks Department says should hold up for another decade.
What's actually new
Beyond the plumbing fix, there are a few changes worth knowing before your first visit back:
A shaded toddler corner has been added on the north side, with lower-pressure jets separated from the main pad — useful if you've got a two-year-old who isn't ready for the full spray. The surrounding rubber safety surface has also been replaced county-wide, which means less heat radiating up on the hottest days.
Parking has changed too
The lot off Linwood Avenue is now permit-only on weekday mornings through Labor Day, a change aimed at commuters who'd been using it as informal park-and-ride. Weekend parking is unaffected. Street parking on the surrounding blocks remains free but fills quickly after 10am.
The reopening coincides with the tail end of summer, so expect it to be busy this first weekend — but with the new toddler section, it should feel less like a scrum than it used to.