The wading pool, Carmansville Playground, July 1935. Carmansville was an old name for the West Side neighborhood extending from 140th Street, just north of City College, to 158th Street. The area is now known as Hamilton Heights (southern part) and Sugar Hill (northern part).
This new era of active recreation was thanks to the Departments of Parks harnessing the labor force of the Works Progress Administration, which employed millions of jobless people to carry out public works projects.