Parx of Chicago: May 2013

Sunday, May 19, 2013

05/19/2013 - Jose De Diego Community Academy (the school's playground), Wicker Park, 1313 N Claremont Ave (off of Western)

Post #5

I've seen this one from the road for years, and it looked appealing enough... and I found it interesting.

After our weekly pancake slaughter at The Fullerton, we watered up (it was/is a hot one today) and took a short drive to just north of Roberto Clemente High School (at Western & Division).

This park was completely deserted, so much so that in the panorama above you can see a white plastic bag floating along to which Máximo commented, "Daddy look, a tumbleweed!"

GCVV in the shadow of that weird-looking, Gilliam-esque building on Division

George Carlos - ★★★★★,"the colors [of the two playgrounds] that I like, green and red, and I got to fight [in a pretend gun battle]."

Máximo - ★★★ 1/2, "Because it was deserted."

He's right, the heat combined with the absence of life made it a desolate sort of experience, but we made the best of it and had a battle.

The RED (east) side.

The GREEN (west) side.

All in all, this park is in pretty good condition, and has some steep slides. It's just out of the way and not heavily populated.

The slides were hot as hell too, that kept total enjoyment at bay.

G liked climbing this one.

http://www.josedediego.org/home-page

05/18/2013 - Wicker Park, Wicker Park, 1425 North Damen Avenue

Post #4

link to panorama: http://pnr.ma/aTFBtZ

DOUBLE FEATURE WEEKEND! This visit is one of two for this weekend.

Wicker Park in Wicker Park, eh? I've lived in Wicker Park and can never recall actually being within the perimeter of the park itself, so Máximo, George Carlos and I took Saturday trip over there.

This park is beautiful, and even has public restrooms - of which we partook immediately upon our arrival, as G-bomb had had his way with all sorts of water earlier.

When we finally got to see the park, we were psyched. It had unique and rad equipment, kids everywhere. Looks like there's some splash-pad equipped dancing bears that spew water when the gods of the park deem it appropriate.

one of the bears

teeter totter

Boys?:

Máximo - ★★★★★, "I liked the teeter totter, and some of the other equipment."

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "...because it was awesome!"

It IS a really nice park. Some of the climbing apparatuses are super cool. The shape of the equipment is imaginative and the layout is unconventional.

My one complaint is that there are only 4 swings. Georgie wanted to swing on the swing with the big plastic chair chained to it and he sat patiently on a bench and waited his turn, which came about 10 minutes later - but it came and he enjoyed it.

GCVV's head, and Máximo's butt

This one deserves a 5-star rating, it's really nice.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Wicker-Park/

Sunday, May 5, 2013

05/05/2013 - Smith Park, West Town, 2526 West Grand Avenue (playground is at Huron & Campbell)

Post #3

link to panorama: http://pnr.ma/afUucZ

All I knew of this park was that this is where some friends of mine play bocce, so this one was recommended...

Beautiful day for a nice trip to a park, but, since we're at Lyndale and Campbell essentially, we had to get into the car for the trip south past Chicago Ave.

Great park; Máximo noticed a strange piece of equipment upon our arrival, one we'd never before seen.

said piece of equipment

Rate the park, boys:

Máximo - ★★★★★, "It's pretty good, and I liked playing with you. I had a lot of fun. I liked the twisty thing."

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "Because that king chair. The robot chair that looks like a robot king chair, and, uhm, that squiggly thing, and playing with you, Daddy."

"robot king chair"

This park was definitely crowded, and with well-to-do folks at that. Honestly, there was a Mercedes Power Wheels crashed in a ditch:

We spent a lot of the time underneath the equipment, pretending to be some sort of underground creatures that avoid sunlight at all cost, which was not unpleasant as this park is well equipped with that spongy-rubbery surface.