Sunday, October 9, 2011
Winner Announced!!
The winner of the pair of tickets to the Midnight Circus is Pam! Congrats!! I have already emailed you to exchange information.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Midnight Circus Ticket Giveaway!
Come one, Come all! Enter to win a pair of tickets to see The Midnight Circus at either Commercial Park (October 15th or 16th) OR Chase Park (October 22nd or October 23rd). This is a $30 value :)
This photo was taken from: http://www.midnightcircus.net/photos_halloween.html
Entering is easy! Follow my blog for one chance to enter and/or "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook for a second chance to enter. For a third chance to enter you can refer a friend to my blog, if he or she follows, you will both be entered! Simply leave me a comment or message to let me know which of these methods you used.
I will be collecting entries until October 9th at which point I will have my daughter randomly pull a name from a hat. If you already follow my blog and like me on Facebook you can leave a comment here or on my FB wall for a chance to win.
The Midnight Circus puts on a show that is perfect for both kids and adults and ALL proceeds go towards park improvements - AWESOME!!
This photo was taken from: http://streetsofwicker.blogspot.com/2010/09/midnight-circus-appearing-live-at-park.html
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
A. Montgomery Park
This park has had more name changes than Prince! Or, the artist formerly know as Prince. Either way, the park started as Park 511, then became known as Erie Park and now has officially been named A. Montgomery (Montgomery Ward ring a bell?) It is located in River North at the intersection of N. Kingsbury St. and W. Erie St.
Maybe because I reside on the north side, but when I visit areas like River North I am completely astounded by the amazing surroundings and city views. A. Montgomery is bounded by all things city. Big buildings, the Chicago River, an amazing river walk and cool views of the skyline and bridges. As we entered the gate into the park my children ran completely past the playground and headed to the river. We spent a lot of time walking up and down it and admiring the passing boats. There were tons of ducks and geese and the kids loved chasing (and being chased, careful!) them around the beautiful green and hilly landscaping.
We finally made it back up the hill to the playground and it was the perfect size for allowing me the chance to relax and keep an eye on both kids at the same time. There are a few rubberized hills throughout the playground that were tons of fun to climb and run back down. For the most part there was standard playground equipment: slides, a climbing wall, monkey bars and swings. While I understand that the park designers did the best they could with it's smaller size, I was bummed to find only two baby swings and four big kid swings (one handicapped). There was actually a wait for the baby swings while we were there and I felt guilty keeping the little guy in for more than 5 minutes.
Can I review people in my park reviews? Of course I can, it's my blog :) No joke, all the moms at this park were very well put together and good looking. I felt a little self conscious that I did not have on Tom's shoes or Lululemon workout gear. But, hey - good for the women of River North, I am definitely not putting down anyone who is raising kids and has their stuff together!
Hate: no bathrooms, no shade near the playground, lot's of goose poop outside of the playground, parking is metered and can be hard at peak hours.
Special Feature: has to be the river and city views!
I would highly recommend this park to tourists of the city who have kids. You can take great photos while letting the little ones get some energy out.
*There is a Caribou Coffee south of the park on N. Kingsbury, great for a bathroom break, quick snack and a pick me up!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Indian Boundary
While I live pretty far north to begin with, I would still make the drive to Indian Boundary Park from downtown and beyond. Seriously, take advantage of this warmish fall weather, pack a picnic, grab the kids and head to N. Rockwell and W. Lunt Ave for a mini city escape! I have heard the word "magical" to describe this park and I couldn't agree more.
Upon arrival we walked past a row of heavily occupied tennis courts. We followed the side-walked trail towards the playground and stumbled upon a fenced in area full of animals! What!? How did I not know this place even existed!? We saw some chickens and a few goats and this made both of my children very happy. There were even more cages, but either the animal was inside it's house, sleeping or didn't exist. Either way, this pleasant surprise set the precedent for the rest of the day.
The playground is a wooden one with tons of tunnels, bridges, nooks and crannies and secret hiding spots. It is completely maze-like with little castles, a wood constructed train and tons of tires to climb on and under. It the center you will find a little sandbox that appeared to be well kept and clean (for a sandbox). If this isn't enough, you have the option of sixteen swings to choose from. My only gripe here is that the big kid swings are low riders, you really have to keep those legs up when nearing the ground. And then the baby swings are set incredibly high. Little strange.
My only concern with the playground is that it is incredibly hard to keep track of your children if you have more than one. So many hidden areas make it easy for a kid to disappear, which can be more than a little nerve racking. While we were there a mom lost track of her young toddler and he ended up falling about three feet to the ground. Scary stuff.
Surrounding the park is the mini zoo, a large water sprinkler, tons of grass and trees, a lagoon full of ducks and a really cute field house. The field house is closed on Sundays (the day we visited) and the bathrooms on the outside of the house were locked as well. I do know that the field house has a stage and that there are often free performances and concerts that are put on. I wish I could describe it, but hope to check out the inside in a future visit (which there will be!).
We spent our time exploring the playground, saying hi to the goats and walking around the lagoon to check out the bird and butterfly sanctuary. We loved all of the ducks, monarch butterflies and pretty flowers.
Love: a unique playground, tons to climb, plenty of swings (one tire), trees, grass, lagoon, mini zoo, sandbox, bathrooms, drinking fountains.
Hate: while I love the wooden playground, I hate the nails and splinters that come with, wood chips (even though they really make sense), low riding swings, hard to keep track of kids.
Special feature: splash area, lagoon, mini zoo
*Check out the events, always something going on: EVENTS
*As we were driving for home I passed a Baker's Square, finally a place to get my French Silk fix!!
*Please "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook (bottom of blog) to stay up to date on my newest park adventure and to see tons more pictures of every park I visit!
Upon arrival we walked past a row of heavily occupied tennis courts. We followed the side-walked trail towards the playground and stumbled upon a fenced in area full of animals! What!? How did I not know this place even existed!? We saw some chickens and a few goats and this made both of my children very happy. There were even more cages, but either the animal was inside it's house, sleeping or didn't exist. Either way, this pleasant surprise set the precedent for the rest of the day.
The playground is a wooden one with tons of tunnels, bridges, nooks and crannies and secret hiding spots. It is completely maze-like with little castles, a wood constructed train and tons of tires to climb on and under. It the center you will find a little sandbox that appeared to be well kept and clean (for a sandbox). If this isn't enough, you have the option of sixteen swings to choose from. My only gripe here is that the big kid swings are low riders, you really have to keep those legs up when nearing the ground. And then the baby swings are set incredibly high. Little strange.
My only concern with the playground is that it is incredibly hard to keep track of your children if you have more than one. So many hidden areas make it easy for a kid to disappear, which can be more than a little nerve racking. While we were there a mom lost track of her young toddler and he ended up falling about three feet to the ground. Scary stuff.
Surrounding the park is the mini zoo, a large water sprinkler, tons of grass and trees, a lagoon full of ducks and a really cute field house. The field house is closed on Sundays (the day we visited) and the bathrooms on the outside of the house were locked as well. I do know that the field house has a stage and that there are often free performances and concerts that are put on. I wish I could describe it, but hope to check out the inside in a future visit (which there will be!).
We spent our time exploring the playground, saying hi to the goats and walking around the lagoon to check out the bird and butterfly sanctuary. We loved all of the ducks, monarch butterflies and pretty flowers.
Love: a unique playground, tons to climb, plenty of swings (one tire), trees, grass, lagoon, mini zoo, sandbox, bathrooms, drinking fountains.
Hate: while I love the wooden playground, I hate the nails and splinters that come with, wood chips (even though they really make sense), low riding swings, hard to keep track of kids.
Special feature: splash area, lagoon, mini zoo
*Check out the events, always something going on: EVENTS
*As we were driving for home I passed a Baker's Square, finally a place to get my French Silk fix!!
*Please "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook (bottom of blog) to stay up to date on my newest park adventure and to see tons more pictures of every park I visit!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Horner Park
Looking for a large grassy hill to run up and down? Horner Park has got you covered! The park is located in the Irving Park neighborhood at the intersection of Montrose and California. Have I mentioned that it is absolutely HUGE!? Just under 55 acres of lush grass (complete with hill), tons of baseball diamonds, tennis courts, basketball hoops, a field house and a soccer/football field. There is also a lovely little garden next to the field house with huge rocks to sit on and enjoy.
The playground is very large and spread out. Although it is filled with wood chips, which are not my favorite, they are spread on the thin side so it is still easy to walk and/or run across them, even for my little guy. We went on a Tuesday afternoon around 2:00 p.m. The playground was pretty vacant and there were a few sunbathers on the grassy hill.
The equipment was typical of a renovated playground. There were tons of slides, bridges, and climbing structures. The playground has two areas: one for younger toddlers and the other for older kids. There are a great amount of swings, both big and little! If you leave the playground and explore the rest of the park, you will find that you almost feel like you aren't in Chicago anymore, which let's admit it, can be pretty nice sometimes :)
Another bonus is that the Chicago River runs just east of the the park, my little ones love going to the bridge and watching the river passing by. If you continue south on one of the side-walked trails, Horner Park connects with California Park (more popularly known as McFetridge Sports Center) just across Irving Park Road where I hear there is ice skating in the winter, yay!
Love: So much grass you feel like you are not in the city, a big parking lot, bathrooms, drinking fountains, relaxing garden, hilly terrain, lots of swings (including one tire), well spread out.
Hate: The wood chips - but that's it!!
Special feature: For us the best part was the large hill. We seriously took turns running up and down, rolling down and relaxing in the grass.
*October 15th from 10 a.m. until
2 p.m. the park will be filled with a pumpkin patch! Families can pick their own pumpkin for a very small fee!
*For additional photos of Horner Park please "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook located at the bottom of this blog!!
The playground is very large and spread out. Although it is filled with wood chips, which are not my favorite, they are spread on the thin side so it is still easy to walk and/or run across them, even for my little guy. We went on a Tuesday afternoon around 2:00 p.m. The playground was pretty vacant and there were a few sunbathers on the grassy hill.
The equipment was typical of a renovated playground. There were tons of slides, bridges, and climbing structures. The playground has two areas: one for younger toddlers and the other for older kids. There are a great amount of swings, both big and little! If you leave the playground and explore the rest of the park, you will find that you almost feel like you aren't in Chicago anymore, which let's admit it, can be pretty nice sometimes :)
Another bonus is that the Chicago River runs just east of the the park, my little ones love going to the bridge and watching the river passing by. If you continue south on one of the side-walked trails, Horner Park connects with California Park (more popularly known as McFetridge Sports Center) just across Irving Park Road where I hear there is ice skating in the winter, yay!
Love: So much grass you feel like you are not in the city, a big parking lot, bathrooms, drinking fountains, relaxing garden, hilly terrain, lots of swings (including one tire), well spread out.
Hate: The wood chips - but that's it!!
Special feature: For us the best part was the large hill. We seriously took turns running up and down, rolling down and relaxing in the grass.
*October 15th from 10 a.m. until
2 p.m. the park will be filled with a pumpkin patch! Families can pick their own pumpkin for a very small fee!
*For additional photos of Horner Park please "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook located at the bottom of this blog!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
River Park
River Park is most notably known for it's Olympic-sized pool. However, this review will be geared towards the playground and splash park. You can find River Park, next to the river, at the intersection of W. Foster and N. Francisco Ave. The actual playground is south on N. Francisco. Warning: N. Francisco is a one-way street, this proved to be a little tricky while I was looking for parking.
Overall we were really pleased with River Park. The playground had a few unique climbing structures, a good amount of space, and plenty of shade. One of the highlights of the playground was the adventure of walking from our car to the park. There are side-walked trails under a canopy of trees that lead from the street to both the playground and the pool (and beyond, N. Shore Channel Trail runs through this park). The kids loved the freedom to run without the fear of cars and it was refreshing being under the shade of the trees.
Obviously my favorite, we were welcomed by a rubberized surface. Tons of stuff to climb on that is geared at an older age (6 and up?). Also, a small section for the toddlers, a good amount of swings, and benches (in the shade) for the parents. Everything was lovely.
Without making this post too long, I also want to talk about the really amazing splash park located next to the pool. The splash park is a toddler's dream! It is completely fenced in and has numerous sprayers. While there is no shade in this area, you won't need it because you will be plenty cool in the mist. I can't wait until next summer to really take advantage of this place!
Love: full of trails and trees on the way to the park, next to the river, rubber surface, tons of things to climb, drinking fountains, splash park, benches, grassy areas, a volleyball court that substitutes as a sandbox.
Hate: parking was tough with all of the one ways, the bathrooms were not the cleanest, there was an area of the playground that was collecting fallen berries and TONS of bugs.
Special feature: the spray park, climbing structures, trails
Overall we were really pleased with River Park. The playground had a few unique climbing structures, a good amount of space, and plenty of shade. One of the highlights of the playground was the adventure of walking from our car to the park. There are side-walked trails under a canopy of trees that lead from the street to both the playground and the pool (and beyond, N. Shore Channel Trail runs through this park). The kids loved the freedom to run without the fear of cars and it was refreshing being under the shade of the trees.
Obviously my favorite, we were welcomed by a rubberized surface. Tons of stuff to climb on that is geared at an older age (6 and up?). Also, a small section for the toddlers, a good amount of swings, and benches (in the shade) for the parents. Everything was lovely.
Without making this post too long, I also want to talk about the really amazing splash park located next to the pool. The splash park is a toddler's dream! It is completely fenced in and has numerous sprayers. While there is no shade in this area, you won't need it because you will be plenty cool in the mist. I can't wait until next summer to really take advantage of this place!
Love: full of trails and trees on the way to the park, next to the river, rubber surface, tons of things to climb, drinking fountains, splash park, benches, grassy areas, a volleyball court that substitutes as a sandbox.
Hate: parking was tough with all of the one ways, the bathrooms were not the cleanest, there was an area of the playground that was collecting fallen berries and TONS of bugs.
Special feature: the spray park, climbing structures, trails
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Jacob Park
After a disappointing trip to the Sunken Garden Park we needed to find a park to play at for the day. We headed to Jacob Park (N. Virginia and W. Leland) only to be disappointed again. I don't like "talking badly" about parks. I completely understand that there is most likely a group of people who are fond of Jacob Park, whether it be a park they visited while growing up or because it is their neighborhood park of today. Unfortunately, part of my job as a park reviewer is to voice my honest opinion about a park and this one was lacking.
The first thing that was tough was the wood chipped ground. My 4-year-old kept getting wood chips stuck in her sandals and my almost 2-year-old struggled to keep his little body upright. I know that not all parks can be renovated and new, but wood chips are the worst.
The park is very small and looked very sad with a broken swing hanging from one chain. We honestly didn't stay very long because my older kid didn't think it was very fun, she wanted to know where all the things were to play on. Bummer. Of course my youngest was having a good time, running as fast as he could across a bridge that I could have sworn he was going to fall off of.
Love: lot's of trees, nestled right next to the river (no access however), cute neighborhood, plenty of street parking.
Hate: small, limited equipment, no bathrooms, wood chips, unsafe areas (broken swing, uneven ground).
Special feature: Cute little boat to play on.
My pictures did not come out very well due to the shade of all of the trees:
The first thing that was tough was the wood chipped ground. My 4-year-old kept getting wood chips stuck in her sandals and my almost 2-year-old struggled to keep his little body upright. I know that not all parks can be renovated and new, but wood chips are the worst.
The park is very small and looked very sad with a broken swing hanging from one chain. We honestly didn't stay very long because my older kid didn't think it was very fun, she wanted to know where all the things were to play on. Bummer. Of course my youngest was having a good time, running as fast as he could across a bridge that I could have sworn he was going to fall off of.
Love: lot's of trees, nestled right next to the river (no access however), cute neighborhood, plenty of street parking.
Hate: small, limited equipment, no bathrooms, wood chips, unsafe areas (broken swing, uneven ground).
Special feature: Cute little boat to play on.
My pictures did not come out very well due to the shade of all of the trees:
Sunken Garden Park
I pick our weekly park outings very randomly. Sometimes I target a specific area, while other times I go by special features (water spouts, sandboxes etc.). For this park I chose it based on the name alone. Sunken Garden Park sounds really cool. I imagined a park slightly lower than the rest of the ground creating a sunken area to play in, maybe some really nice natural elements such as rocks for climbing and beautiful, gardened landscaping. I really felt we were going on a great adventure as we headed to our destination. THIS is the Sunken Garden Park:
Located at N. Virginia and W. Sunnyside in the Ravenswood Garden neighborhood you will find this TINY green space, complete with 4 benches. Not quite the Sunken Gardens I thought we were going to find. The best part is that the Chicago Park District website describes this park as one meant for "passive recreation."
We were so passive we decided to skip it.
Located at N. Virginia and W. Sunnyside in the Ravenswood Garden neighborhood you will find this TINY green space, complete with 4 benches. Not quite the Sunken Gardens I thought we were going to find. The best part is that the Chicago Park District website describes this park as one meant for "passive recreation."
We were so passive we decided to skip it.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Fellger Playlot Park
It has been HOT! And so I went to a place that I knew I could count on to keep me and the kids cool - Fellger Park. This cute little park is located on the corner of Damen and Belmont in Roscoe Village. To begin, the park is in an amazingly family friendly neighborhood. Fellger is always hopping with kids and parents (okay, nannies) enjoying the spray pool, playground equipment, little play house and child sized train.
We went to Fellger on a Thursday afternoon and there was plenty of street parking available. My only guess is most of the people at the park live close enough to have walked. On the day that we visited it seemed that the drain for the spray pool was not working fast enough. This caused the water to pool in locations that it normally wouldn't (like under the baby swings). Although this is not the norm, it actually added to the fun and I loved that I got to wade through the cool water as I pushed my little guy on the swings.
The park is very well maintained and also spread out. It has the most slides I have ever seen in such a small space, tons of swings and enough trees to keep parts shady (and cool, somewhat). K and F had so much fun running and jumping in the water, it is finally hot enough that the cold water was perfect for playing in. We really enjoyed our day at Fellger and REALLY enjoyed our cupcakes at Bleeding Heart Bakery after.
Love: spray pool on a hot day, trees to shade, little clubhouse, miniature train, great playground with tons of slides and swings, parking, great neighborhood, tons of kids, drinking fountain, rubberized material, gated.
Hate: No bathrooms. Although I did see a mom coaxing her child to go on the travel potty that she brought, pretty hilarious (yet smart?).
Special feature: The water spout and the little house were our favorites.
*Man-Jo-Vin is a quick walk north on Damen for burgers, hot dogs and soft serve ice cream.
Please excuse my pictures, we went on a whim and all I had was my phone!
*Fellger Park is a great place to hang with the kids during Retro on Roscoe and Burger Fest.
*Don't forget to "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook to keep up to date with park reviews and see more pictures!
We went to Fellger on a Thursday afternoon and there was plenty of street parking available. My only guess is most of the people at the park live close enough to have walked. On the day that we visited it seemed that the drain for the spray pool was not working fast enough. This caused the water to pool in locations that it normally wouldn't (like under the baby swings). Although this is not the norm, it actually added to the fun and I loved that I got to wade through the cool water as I pushed my little guy on the swings.
The park is very well maintained and also spread out. It has the most slides I have ever seen in such a small space, tons of swings and enough trees to keep parts shady (and cool, somewhat). K and F had so much fun running and jumping in the water, it is finally hot enough that the cold water was perfect for playing in. We really enjoyed our day at Fellger and REALLY enjoyed our cupcakes at Bleeding Heart Bakery after.
Love: spray pool on a hot day, trees to shade, little clubhouse, miniature train, great playground with tons of slides and swings, parking, great neighborhood, tons of kids, drinking fountain, rubberized material, gated.
Hate: No bathrooms. Although I did see a mom coaxing her child to go on the travel potty that she brought, pretty hilarious (yet smart?).
Special feature: The water spout and the little house were our favorites.
*Man-Jo-Vin is a quick walk north on Damen for burgers, hot dogs and soft serve ice cream.
Please excuse my pictures, we went on a whim and all I had was my phone!
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| Not sure what is going on here!? |
*Fellger Park is a great place to hang with the kids during Retro on Roscoe and Burger Fest.
*Don't forget to "like" Urban Green Space on Facebook to keep up to date with park reviews and see more pictures!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Mary Bartelme Park
When I think of an urban green space, this park is EXACTLY what I envision. This park is so cool! Also known as the "Adams and Sangamon" Park, Mary Bartelme is located at, you guessed it, Adams and Sangamon. You will find this 1.4-acre park in the West Loop surrounded by all things city. For someone who lives on the north side I absolutely loved the view of the Sears Tower (I refuse to acknowledge it's new name).
I don't even know where to start because I was impressed by this park so much. It was built in October of 2010. Besides the playground there is a really interesting metal sculpture (see pictures) that also sprays mist, a fenced in dog park and a large seating area complete with rolling (think big!) grassy hills. The grassy area alone is a toddler's dream, my almost 2 year old spent the majority of his time running up and then running back down the hills.
The playground is one of the most unique that I have ever seen. While it is geared towards a slightly older crowd (3 and up I'd say), babies and toddlers can certainly make use of it as well. My first and favorite point: the park is surfaced in the fantastic rubberized material, but it is sloped and angled to make hills and walls that are so great for climbing. The play equipment is then incorporated into the hills and there is one slide that comes off a hill and brings you back to the main floor - awesome!
All of the equipment is different from what you will see at most parks. There are no swings here except for what looks like a flying saucer that is able to be pushed back and forth. The main attraction is a rubber climbing structure that is almost shaped like a ribbon and tons of things to climb. The kids are rewarded for all of their hard work with a gigantic tube slide that brings them back to the beginning or a run over a really cool bridge.
This was a really great adventure for us and I strongly suggest parents from all over the city check out this park!
Love: Most everything! The innovative design, the hills (both in and out of the playground), the uniqueness, great climbing, plenty of seating, drinking fountain, gated.
Hate: No shade in the playground area, this playground can be pretty dangerous for the little guy that wants to do things he is not ready for, no bathrooms, parking was metered.
Special feature: Not to sound too lame, but everything was pretty special. The misting sculpture, the hills, the tons of climbing opportunities.
*Looking for more pictures? Join my Facebook page at the bottom of this blog to see
more!
I don't even know where to start because I was impressed by this park so much. It was built in October of 2010. Besides the playground there is a really interesting metal sculpture (see pictures) that also sprays mist, a fenced in dog park and a large seating area complete with rolling (think big!) grassy hills. The grassy area alone is a toddler's dream, my almost 2 year old spent the majority of his time running up and then running back down the hills.
The playground is one of the most unique that I have ever seen. While it is geared towards a slightly older crowd (3 and up I'd say), babies and toddlers can certainly make use of it as well. My first and favorite point: the park is surfaced in the fantastic rubberized material, but it is sloped and angled to make hills and walls that are so great for climbing. The play equipment is then incorporated into the hills and there is one slide that comes off a hill and brings you back to the main floor - awesome!
All of the equipment is different from what you will see at most parks. There are no swings here except for what looks like a flying saucer that is able to be pushed back and forth. The main attraction is a rubber climbing structure that is almost shaped like a ribbon and tons of things to climb. The kids are rewarded for all of their hard work with a gigantic tube slide that brings them back to the beginning or a run over a really cool bridge.
This was a really great adventure for us and I strongly suggest parents from all over the city check out this park!
Love: Most everything! The innovative design, the hills (both in and out of the playground), the uniqueness, great climbing, plenty of seating, drinking fountain, gated.
Hate: No shade in the playground area, this playground can be pretty dangerous for the little guy that wants to do things he is not ready for, no bathrooms, parking was metered.
Special feature: Not to sound too lame, but everything was pretty special. The misting sculpture, the hills, the tons of climbing opportunities.
This sculpture sprays water!
*Participates in both Movies in the Park and Concerts in the Park.
*Looking for more pictures? Join my Facebook page at the bottom of this blog to see
more!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Skinner Park
Skinner Park is located in the West Loop. The entire park is enormous! So big in fact that it shares it's space with both Skinner Elementary School and Whitney Young High School. Skinner School uses the park for recess and after school there is a program run by Hi-Five Sports Camp through Whitney Young. The playground is found at the southeast corner of W. Adams and S. Throop.
The playground section of the park is fenced off and is fairly large as well. You can find a little bit of everything here. There was a small toddler section, a large older kid area, a really cool climbing structure, a water spray area, a large sandbox, plenty of grass, benches and picnic tables. Outside of the playground area was a small building with what looked like an office and two restrooms. However, when I attempted to check out the facilities all of the doors were locked. I am not sure if this is a common issue or not, so I really do not know if there are accessible restrooms.
Overall, we enjoyed our time at Skinner Park. After playing we walked through the pretty garden and ran around in the grass. There is tons of space and I can imagine it is full of all types of people on a hot summer day.
Love: large grassy areas, fenced in playground, drinking fountain, sandbox, water spout, climbing feature, picnic tables, shady areas, tons of swings, rubberized flooring, clean and updated equipment, a police academy training center directly across the street (makes me feel safe).
Hate: bathrooms were locked, sandbox looked like it could have used some attending.
Special Feature: unique climbing structure, water play area.
*Check out Toddlers, Tunes
and Turtles on August 10th, 2011 for children under 6 years old.
*Participates in Movies in the Park - next one up is THIS Thursday (July 14th)
*To see more pictures follow the Facebook link at the bottom of the blog!
The playground section of the park is fenced off and is fairly large as well. You can find a little bit of everything here. There was a small toddler section, a large older kid area, a really cool climbing structure, a water spray area, a large sandbox, plenty of grass, benches and picnic tables. Outside of the playground area was a small building with what looked like an office and two restrooms. However, when I attempted to check out the facilities all of the doors were locked. I am not sure if this is a common issue or not, so I really do not know if there are accessible restrooms.
Overall, we enjoyed our time at Skinner Park. After playing we walked through the pretty garden and ran around in the grass. There is tons of space and I can imagine it is full of all types of people on a hot summer day.
Love: large grassy areas, fenced in playground, drinking fountain, sandbox, water spout, climbing feature, picnic tables, shady areas, tons of swings, rubberized flooring, clean and updated equipment, a police academy training center directly across the street (makes me feel safe).
Hate: bathrooms were locked, sandbox looked like it could have used some attending.
Special Feature: unique climbing structure, water play area.
and Turtles on August 10th, 2011 for children under 6 years old.
*Participates in Movies in the Park - next one up is THIS Thursday (July 14th)
*To see more pictures follow the Facebook link at the bottom of the blog!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Jonquil Park
I decided to hit up Jonquil Park on a whim, I was driving by and saw the enormous green space and decided to give it a go. Jonquil Park is bordered by a cute little neighborhood on one side and the busy streets of Wrightwood, Lincoln and Sheffield on the other. Free parking proved to be a bit tough, while there were no spots on Lill, I found a few open ones on Seminary.
As I said, there is a decent sized area of grass. Since it was a hot day when we visited the lawn was occupied by numerous sunbathers and people playing frisbee. There is also a baseball diamond and two tennis courts available at this park.
The playground was medium sized with a bit of grass in one corner that was completely covered in shade. The play equipment was very nice with plenty of swings (one tire), a small section for toddlers and a really cool climbing area. The main attraction? A water spout of course! Living in the city can have it's disadvantages (one COLD lake to swim in, extremely busy public pools), luckily there are plenty of parks that have spray pools to help cool off the kids and keep them busy for an hour at least.
Love: The sprinkler, clean playground, rubberized surfaces, grass in the shade, the train goes by this park every 5 minutes (this is a love because my son loves trains, it could be a hate - but it is a block away :), picnic tables.
Hate: Free parking is lacking, no bathrooms.
Special feature: Climbing structure and water spout.
*If you need to use a restroom there is a 7-11 at the corner of Wrightwood and Lincoln.
*Lou Malnati's is just across the street for a great lunch or to take home dinner.
*Participates in Movies in the Park
As I said, there is a decent sized area of grass. Since it was a hot day when we visited the lawn was occupied by numerous sunbathers and people playing frisbee. There is also a baseball diamond and two tennis courts available at this park.
The playground was medium sized with a bit of grass in one corner that was completely covered in shade. The play equipment was very nice with plenty of swings (one tire), a small section for toddlers and a really cool climbing area. The main attraction? A water spout of course! Living in the city can have it's disadvantages (one COLD lake to swim in, extremely busy public pools), luckily there are plenty of parks that have spray pools to help cool off the kids and keep them busy for an hour at least.
Love: The sprinkler, clean playground, rubberized surfaces, grass in the shade, the train goes by this park every 5 minutes (this is a love because my son loves trains, it could be a hate - but it is a block away :), picnic tables.
Hate: Free parking is lacking, no bathrooms.
Special feature: Climbing structure and water spout.
*If you need to use a restroom there is a 7-11 at the corner of Wrightwood and Lincoln.
*Lou Malnati's is just across the street for a great lunch or to take home dinner.
*Participates in Movies in the Park
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Oz Park - Dorothy's Playlot
If you were to ask me which Chicago park is the very best to frolic in, Oz Park would win hands down! The grass is green and the gardens are beautiful. You can find Oz Park at the corner of Lincoln, Webster and Larrabee. At this corner you will be greeted by a large Tin Man and it is here that the adventure begins...
The first thing that I enjoyed at Oz Park was "The Emerald Garden", this is a gated garden area that is reserved for relaxing, enjoying and quiet talking. While it is gorgeous, it would not be the best place to bring the kids unless they can be quiet and respect the sunbathers and flower lookers. Just west of the garden is "Dorothy's Playlot" and the basis for this review.
Dorothy's Playlot is a gated park that is almost entirely made of wood. This park was designed for children 5 and younger. You will still find the rubber surface on the ground, but you will not find play equipment comparable to the newer parks. This park is full of nooks to hide, places to climb and bridges to run across. There is a great space in the middle with tiered seating that gives parents an awesome eye to watch their children. My one note of caution is that there are many times when you cannot see a child because of all the cubby holes and nooks, I had to follow F like a hawk so I didn't lose the little guy.
There are a few metal slides and a few plastic ones, the best part here is that you do not need to worry about them being too hot - Oz Park is 85% in the shade. The baby swings were great, the older kid's swings could use a little revamping as they were super close to the ground. All in all this is a really fun park and different from all of the rest!
Love: Wizard of Oz characters, shade, great play structure, drinking fountain, picnic tables, tire swing, great seating for parents, tons of grass outside of playlot, toddler area with train, port-a-potty outside of playlot (I do not know the conditions inside).
Hate: Can be tough to see kids, big kid swings are too low, parking can be tricky in the heart of Lincoln Park, while the park is 5 and under I saw tons of older kids "ruling" the park (one group seemed to have been bussed in), lots of random garbage on this day - I saw an abandoned dirty diaper, an iced coffee drink just begging kids to take a sip and a bunch of chip bags.
Special Feature: the wood structure with castles is really the best part!
* Participates in Movies in the Park - The Wizard of Oz will be playing August 25th!
*Looking for a snack? Hubby's Doghouse is a hot dog stand located in the center of Oz Park.
*Looking for dessert? DQ/Orange Julius is on the corner of Lincoln and Webster.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wicker Park
Ah, Wicker Park - what's not to love? This neighborhood has seen many changes in the last few years. I love that you can run into just about any type of person while visiting. From yuppies to hipsters I have found that parents are parents and kids will be kids.
The park itself is a 4 acre triangle. The landscaping is beautiful and the community residents maintain the stunning gardens. As you walk through the park you actually feel like you are not in the middle of one of Chicago's busiest neighborhoods. F was running around without a care in the world, chasing the birds and jibber jabbing with the homeless while K was very excited to see such large amounts of ... grass (we obviously need to get out of the city more).
The park includes a dog friendly area, basketball court (4 hoops), baseball diamond, field house, huge fountain that kids are known to splash in and the playground itself. The playground is fantastic. Nice and clean with a really great climbing/playing area for the older kids and a smaller one for the toddlers. On top of all this, there are cute statues of bears that spray water. While I do not think I would consider this a "spray pool" (Chicago Park District does) it is still a great addition.
Love: close to the Blue Line, clean field house with bathrooms, tons of grass and shade, picnic tables (in playground and park area), fencing around entire park, pretty fountain, tons of benches, drinking fountains (best in the playground area), rubber surface, beautiful scenery.
Hate: two big kid swings is not enough, parking is tough (cannot park on Damen in front of the school when in session), a few questionable characters hanging around smoking/drinking.
Special Feature: water spouting bears, huge fountain to play in.
*Wicker Park has a farmers market every Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
*Participates in Movies in the Park
*Super close to Big Star, which I am BIG on their tacos!