Zora’s going to love this park when she learns how to skate. The skate park is awesome. We spent a lot of time watching the two fearless skaters. But until then, it’s just a nice neighborhood rec center. While we were visiting, some kids figured out that by placing a plank across two swings, they could have a swinging bed. It was great to watch. And great to see that kids are still innovating.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (9/14/12)
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Visited: November 2012
The best part of this lonely playground are the train tracks that run behind it. When we were visiting, trains roared past–or, in the case of the CSX freighter, chugged past–every 5-10 minutes. The equipment is not particularly unusual or interesting, but it seems to be well used by those within walking distance. And there’s nothing wrong with a beloved neighborhood playground.
Philadelphia Playground Review (4/28/12)
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Visited: November 2012
The Daroff Samuel Elementary School has, what appears to be, an amazing playground. Unfortunately, unlike some elementary school playgrounds, it’s all tantalizingly locked up behind a chain link fence during off hours. Rats.
Philadelphia Playground Project (not yet reviewed)
Visited: November 2012
Nichols Park appears to be a neighborhood town square located in mid-block. The playground equipment is fine. But the crown of the park is really the large gazebo that looks perfectly suited for summertime concerts.
Philadelphia Playground Project (reviewed on 12/31/2011)
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Visited: November 2012
Granahan Playground sits on a little hill and offers a surprising view of the Philadelphia skyline. But that’s not the best part of the playground. It has one of the largest connected structures with a bridge hat trick: a curved bridge, a straight bridge, and a bouncy bridge. It has three pentagon structures with interior stairs and a dozen climbers. It has rings, monkey bars (including 2 on the bottom of one of the bridges), and a chin up bar. And that’s just the larger of the two structures. Oddly for such an otherwise well-kept playground, half of the eight swings are missing. There’s also a small sprayground, two hockey rinks (one appears to have been turned into a skate park, but there were no skaters when we visited), and lots of fields. And it’s also home of the world famous Overbrook Monarchs!
Philadelphia Playground Project (reviewed on 5/19/12)
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Visited: November 2012
Commodore John Barry Elementary School is a sleek, relatively new school building with an exterior made of sparkling colorful bricks and gray ribbed metal work. Compared to the split face concrete block that mars so many new schools because of budget architecture, it really stands apart. So it’s somewhat surprising that the playground is, to put it bluntly, lame. It’s a small piece with nothing interesting on it, and one can’t even play a good game of tag on it. The rubberized faux asphalt is unusual, but otherwise, there’s nothing here that should draw your attention. UNLESS, as is the case with some elementary schools, it’s unusual in that it’s not locked up from the public during off hours.
Philadelphia Playground Project Review (reviewed on 12/31/2011)
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Visited: November 2012
The Papa playground has two play areas–one for older and one for younger kids. It’s in a little copse of trees at 68th & Lansdowne Ave. The afternoon we visited, Zora played Billy Goat Gruff on the knolls surrounding the playground and a fierce neighborhood football game raged 50 yards to the north on the playing fields. There’s a sorta-retro see-saw in the older kids lot along with a cool stegosaurus rocker.
Playground website.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (5/29/12)
Visited: November 2012
One of the best playgrounds we’ve visited so far. It’s got everything. And the equipment is clean and well-kept. And it’s got a zebra and a parrot rocker. And it’s got enough picnic area to serve half of West Philly. This is definitely a destination playground, especially during the summer when the pool and sprayground (yeah, they got both) are open.
Philadelphia Playground Project (reviewed on 12/31/2011)
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Visited: November 2012
The Rose Playground sits up on a hill over Lansdowne Avenue. It’s hard to see from below and, if you’re driving, it’s difficult to figure out where to park. A neighborhood playground that tries to hide itself from outsiders? I can’t argue with that. But Zora and I were persistent and we got ourselves there and it was well worth it. There are two structures on two levels. There are a couple things that we had not seen anywhere else (yet): a two-person piece that you could hang on and spin from steering-wheel sized spinners; a hemispheric climbing wall; and an old school see saw with a modern twist. Plus, there are some large old shade trees surrounding the grounds. And one more thing: there’s even an adult playground nearby. Which, to be honest, just looks like exercise.
Philadelphia Playground Project (reviewed on 5/19/12)
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Visited: November 2012
This playground, tucked in the middle of an unassuming block has two things that are amazing. First, there’s the two-story tall old school steel swirly slide. Zora just looked at the slide and shook her head and backed away when she saw it. So I showed her how to ride it. We haven’t seen anything like this in the 75 other playgrounds that we’ve visited this year. Second, there’s an adorable stage on the north side with trees painted as a backdrop. I have no idea whether this neighborhood uses this small performance space, but if we had one of these in my West Philly neighborhood, I would be tempted to put on all kinds of performances on this stage.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (11/18/2009)
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Visited: November 2012
Zora and I played soccer in this little mid-block playground. There’s a beautiful mural looking over the playground and, on the other side of the fence by the Fishtown Rec Center, a swimming pool. This was the first playground that we visited that Zora understood was going to be documented on the website. “Papa, make sure you write down that there’s a puddle [in the middle of the basketball court] and a swing missing.”
Philadelphia Playground Project review (11/28/2009)
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Visited: November 2012
We almost didn’t stay at this playground when Zora saw that the swings were missing. But then she spotted the bucket swings attached to one of the play structures. And then after she swung for awhile, she wanted to climb on the odd red climbing structure near the building. There’s a swimming pool here and basketball and tennis courts, but on the windy day we visited, we just hung out on the playground part.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (11/18/2009)
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Visited: November 2012
This was one of my favorite playgrounds we’ve visited so far, and it was hard to leave, but the sun was setting. Zora loved the car climbing structure (just like they have in Malcolm X Park in West Philly.) There’s a small retro jungle gym that Zora wasn’t that excited about, but I loved. There were some friendly neighborhood kids that immediately started playing with Zora when they arrived. There’s a lovely community garden, recycling containers, and lots more. And a stage! Which Zora took to belt out a rendition of our popular bed time cowboy ballad, Streets of Laredo.
Playground website (Northern Liberties Neighbors Association)
Philadelphia Playground Project review (2/26/12)
Visited: November 2012
The playground structures are average here, but what really makes it cool is its location. It’s in a small copse of trees on the side of the grassy Penn Treaty Park. And it’s right on the river. While we were visiting, a huge barge came up under the Ben Franklin Bridge and Zora (with me tagging along) ran over to the railing where several older men speaking Russian (or Ukrainian?) were fishing. One of the best locations for a playground in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (2/26/12)
Visited: November 2012
If you visit enough playgrounds, it’s easy to get discouraged by the awful graffiti that is often scrawled on the structures. The folks at the Fishtown Rec Center have apparently done something about it, painting their structures in vibrant colors. I love it. Zora, on the other hand, was nonplussed by the colors, but loved the concrete hill in the middle of the playground that’s designed of climbing. Oh, and the swings. As usual, she loved the swings.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (5/29/11)
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Visited: November 2012
If I had some big equipment like they have in Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site, I’d rip up all this concrete and plant grass. It’s a nice neighborhood, just south of Girard on Front Street, under the El, but all that concrete is, well, kind of depressing. It’s like they put a playground on a Walmart parking lot. The mural on the side of the building is pretty awesome, on the other hand.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (11/28/09)
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Visited: November 2012
Zora and I were going home one afternoon, and it was getting dark, and then we happened upon this playground a bit unexpectedly. “One more?” I asked her, and she grinned and started unbuckling her seat belt. We spun on the old school spinner until we it got too dark and then, well, rode the swings for a little bit more. There’s a building here with a butterfly mural that looked beautiful, but in the twilight darkness, we couldn’t really enjoy it too much. We’ll have to come back when in the day time.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (5/8/2011)
Visited: November 2012
I remember reading in the newspaper when Franklin Square re-opened awhile back and have been meaning to get here, but when you’re on your bike, it’s a bit hard to get there. So Zora and I borrowed Hiram’s car and drove over to check it out. The playground has some cool stuff, but there’s also a carousel (that you have to pay for) and a fountain and a mini-golf course and, on the November day we visited, Santa Claus! A big hit. Next time we come, though, we’re going to bring some lunch.
Philadelphia Playground Project review (July 2009)
Visited: December 2012
This is a desolate playground with little shade and lots of trash. The blue old school geodome monkey bars are pretty cool. And this is the only time I’ve ever seen three (cf. two or four) swings on one piece of equipment. But otherwise, I’m afraid there’s not much to commend this playground. It’s especially odd since there’s a twin playground on the other side of Marconi Plaza, on the other side of Broad Street, that’s much cleaner and nicer.
Philly Playground Project (visited 12/24/11)
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Visited: January 2013
Zora and I visited this playground on a cold winter’s day and, even though South Broad Street is just paces away, it’s a very secluded, lovely playground. I showed off a bit on the hemispheric dome, dangling upside down and swinging Zora who firmly grasped my wrists. There’s the usual structure, too, but two unique items: one, a strange tri-arch system and two, a five-swing set. It’s in much better shape than the sister playground in Marconi Plaza on the other side of South Broad Street. Certainly one of our favorite South Philly neighborhood playgrounds.
Philadelphia Playground Project (not yet reviewed)
Visited: January 2013