Park it, Buster! Where to go, play, dip, and tumble in 10002

Contrary to the opinions of some — namely suburbanites and members of the Yanomami tribe — New York City is an incredible place to raise a family.

It’s dirty. It’s noisy. And it’s a place where you learn quickly to watch your footing, your six, your back pocket, and your mouth.

But that’s just business as usual when people from wildly different walks of life inhabit and move through a dense city together.

Since starting a family, I’ve lived in two neighborhoods, both on the east side of Manhattan. For most of that time, though, I’ve made my home on the Lower East Side. (Surprise!)

My wife and I were drawn to the neighborhood for a variety of reasons, one being that we found the most value as homebuyers here. Another was the strength of the public school district. Yet another, though, was one that we came to rely on more and more as our children grew: the area’s parks and playgrounds.

Children need places to play, to explore, to challenge themselves, and to interact with other children. Parks are places where social skills are learned the old-fashioned way — through trial, error, negotiation, falling, and bad sharing. (Usually that last one comes down to parental modeling, though.)

For kids, parents, and grown-up kids, the Lower East Side is home to a remarkable selection of playgrounds and parks. Here’s a list of them, followed by some that I think are exceptional — irrespective of age or tribe.

A — C

ABC Playground; Ahearn Park; Alfred E. Smith Playground; Allen Street Malls; Baruch Playground (Soccer Field); Captain Jacob Joseph Playground; Catherine Slip Malls; Cherry Clinton Playground; Coleman Playground; Corlears Hook Park

D — P

Henry M. Jackson Playground; John V. Lindsay Park; Hamilton Fish Park; Lillian D. Wald Playground; Little Flower Playground; Luther Gulick Park; Nathan Straus Playground; Pier 42; Playground One

S — Z

Sara D. Roosevelt Park; Schiff Mall; Seward Park; Sidney Hillman Playground; Sol Lain Playground; Sophie Irene Loeb Playground; Straus Square; Tanahey Playground; Vladeck Park; Wald Playground

Do you have a favorite? Here are some of mine.

ABC Playground: Fans of artist Tom Otterness can enjoy one of his bronze statues — Coqui — a lifesize frog at this park on Houston Street. (Kids love frogs!)

Coleman Playground: Ollie at your own risk , as this skate park under the Manhattan Bridge is not for poseurs. Bring your helmet, and grind on, my friends.

Corlears Hook Park: Although partly disrupted on account of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project , this park has a taste of everything: a ball field, picnic areas , semi-clean bathrooms , and glorious gardens that are tended to by the Friends of Corlears Hook Park.

It also provides access to East River Park and all of its amenities — including a new amphitheater , playgrounds, splash pads (and the relocated seals), soccer fields — as well as the Corlears Hook stop on the NYC Ferry.

Hamilton Fish Park: Have you ever gone for a summer swim in NYC? While you have to be prepared, i.e., come essentially with nothing but a towel, the public pools in New York are clean and appealing. This one is no exception, and the recreation center (pictured) is a spectacular building.

Luther Gulick Park: Set between Hillman Housing and the south side of the Williamsburg Bridge, Luther Gulick is a recently redeveloped park that is ideal for families. It has swings, a splashpad , things that spin , things that wobble, and things to climb . It also has basketball courts and ping pong tables , and a fitness area.

Seward Park: In the words of Ini Kamoze, Seward Park is the Daddy of the Mack Daddy. It combines history, i.e., it was the first permanent, municipally-built playground in the United States , with practicality, namely that it provides space to play/climb/ball/pong/lift/swish/spike/swing , while also making ample room for people of all ages to mix, mingle, and move about.