Location Profile: Jennings St

Morrisania, Bronx

For more than a decade, Street Lab has partnered with the residents of Jennings Street in the Bronx. Soon after we created our first pop-up reading room in NYC, we brought it to Jennings St to support a community-run play street and provide a place to gather around reading. And we kept coming over the years, bringing different programs and supporting the play street as it became an official NYC Open Street in 2021. Last year, we arranged a surprise visit from players from the New York Yankees who came over from the stadium to play with the kids—a day that we’ll never forget! Street Lab is already planning our visits to Jennings St for 2024.

A black and white map of NYC zoomed in to only see some parts of the "Bronx," "Manhattan," and "Queens" with a green dot on a street in the Bronx.

Jennings St between Prospect Ave and Chisholm St

Our Community Partner

Yolanda “Lonnie” Hardy has single-handedly organized and maintained a play street on Jennings St with a mission to create a safe and creative environment for children. She established Caldwell Enrichment Programs, an organization that offers educational and recreational programs to reduce high school dropout rates, gang membership, and bullying, while encouraging healthy eating habits, and more.

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A view of the street with children and adults reading. There is a navy bar that reads "Police Line - Don Not Cross NYPD" in white text.

A group of children playing and chalking on the street of NYC.

“[Street Lab] came here back when nobody cared…giving the children in the community a safe place not only to play but to learn and experience other positive activities.”

Y. Lonnie Hardy
Caldwell Enrichment Programs, Inc.

Adults and children smiling and posing at the camera on the street of NYC.

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Children and adults drawing on the street.

A view of children reading on the street of NYC.

An adult and a child reading on the street of NYC, on a plastic bench. A view of half of a wooden cart with books also visible.

Children playing with magnatiles on the street of NYC, on a triangular wooden table and plastic benches.

Teenagers and children looking (reading) a picture book together on the street of NYC.

Look back at our work at Jennings St…

New York Yankees honor Street Lab

Jul 9, 2023

Thank you New York Yankees for recognizing and supporting Street Lab during Hope Week. Catch a video of New York Yankees players joining us on the street in the Bronx...and then our visit to their house. Go Yanks!View this video full screen[ngg src="galleries"...

How the Uni works at play streets in the Bronx

Aug 8, 2016

Today, we brought the Uni to a great play street in the Bronx run by Caldwell Programs. As I promised everyone last week, I brought along some new math puzzles today. Learn more about our ongoing effort at play...

Uni READ, DRAW, SOLVE at Jennings Play Street in Bronx

Aug 1, 2016

This summer, we are once again deploying to play streets in Harlem and the Bronx. Today, I worked one of our favorites, run by Caldwell Programs in Morrisania. I hung out, and took some photos, let the kids take photos, and gathered feedback for our new...

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