Kris

Great turf, both on field and on running track
Public restrooms
4 different tennis courts
Great flood lights
Parking is easy if you arrive early and difficult if you are late
Expansive bleachers for audience
Beautiful view of Manhattan skyline in background
Associated supermarket for refreshments across the street

St. John's Park COULD be a GREAT playground but it is NOT. The reasons? Sloppy maintenance and a lack of attention to detail. Here is why:
- soccer goals lack nets
- no soccer goals for children- or youth teams
- bathrooms locked, you have to go into the bushes. Why are bathrooms LOCKED on a Saturday morning at 10am?
- WiFi didn't work. WiFi showed up in list of WiFi networks but we were not able to log on.
- running track has narrow corners. Anybody who is a regular runner knows that narrow corners like these will kill your joints
- no floodlights
+ good turf
+ relatively easy street parking on weekends in the morning

Since its opening, "Rainbow park" (named after the colorful covering of the play"ground") has been criticized by parents for a) lack of shade in the Summer, b) politically correct, gender neutral playstructures , and c) a lack of enclosement that allowed kids to simply run away and out of the playground. This issue was fixed after Assemblywoman Nolan intervened at the NYS Parks office after she met with the Long Island City Parents Group.
Two or three other issues remain: there is no or little shade in the Summer, neither for kids nor for parents and nannies. It would be easy to erect a tarp over the playstructures like is customary at other playgrounds. Like dog owners, parents and nannies should be able to sit under a roof protecting them from the elements.
WiFi transmitters with charging stations have a limited utility on busy sidewalks where people are in a rush to get to the subway. Parents and nannies watching their kids often spend long periods of time at a playground - long enough to do emails, surf the web, and charge their phones.
The politically correct, gender neutral playstructures don't appeal to kids who are excited by fire trucks, pirate boats, castles, and a cluster of three or four little playhouses. Just take your kids to the playground next to the Queens Science Center, sit back, and observe the difference in fun and engagement!
To balance this review, let's mention that the climbing net (pictured), the monkey bar structure, and the structure with the two slides are hugely popular with kids.
The water feature is a complete DISASTER: it frequently breaks down and is serviced by a company based in ... you're right, CALIFORNIA. It has to be continously supervised by a park employee. All that because of a not fully developed, frequently misfunctioning, extremely expensive technology that recycles and filters the water like a public swimming pool.

In NYC we are so desperate fore functioning public places, especially swimming pools that I have to rate this pool five stars for being "dynamite." Here is why:
+ easily accessible by NYC Ferry
+ the facilities are dated (especially the lockers in the changing rooms), but clean and functional
+ the moderate yearly membership fee guarantees a respectful and civilized atmosphere
+ very diverse crowds including retirees and many Asian families living on Rosevelt Island
+ good etiquette when people are sharing lanes
- very limited opening hours, reopens on weekday evenings only at 7pm :(
- very limited number of courses at the in-house gym. Couldn't the gym be given to local personal trainers for free which could then use the facilities to offer some fee-based classes?

Excellent playground, worth the drive for parents and children. Here is why:
+ easy parking
+ both sun and shade for parents and kids through large trees and a yellow tarp over the pirate boat
+ park benches and picnic tables are part of the playground
+ fence all around with lockable door and sandbox walled in, i.e. enough protection from animals and wind
+ large wooden obstacle course
+ not a politically correct, gender neutered playground: thanks for the castle towers, cars (see photo) and pirate boat
+ two swings with a total of 8 seats, i.e. no wait
+ a real community feel: lots of shared toys in the sandbox (see photo) and the names of several dozen donors on the fence (see photo)
+ lots of wooden structures in a green natural setting. Playground doesn't have this fake plastic feeling of the indoor playgrounds at McDonald's
+ very diverse family feel: Indian, Chinese, Hispanic, Caucasian
+ older kids can play on neighboring soccer fields on the other side of the fence
+ very small, free lending library in one corner (see photo)
- playground has it's own WiFi but I couldn't find password. My carrier shows only two bars for signal strength.