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)
View Larger Map

Visited: November 2012