07/28/2013 - Oz Park, Lincoln Park, 2021 N. Burling Street (Webster & Larrabee)

Post #12

Link to Panorama - http://pnr.ma/dkFqgF

Again I'm late on the blog!  The thing about these blogs is that you have to write them, I mean actually do it.

Anyways, this was two Sundays ago, when my Uncle D and his 10 year old daughter (my wonderful little cuz) Gabriela were here.  Máximo, Big-G and I took Lil-G with us, while my Uncle D and my Mom had some quality time together.  Enough of the personal schtuffs... onto the parkin'.

Máximo, George Carlos and Gabriela

Oz Park is a beautiful Wizard of Oz-themed park that, to be honest with you, I had never visited, although I've passed it too many times to count.  It is located in the enclave of Lincoln Park, and has plenty going on with it.

Let's start with the ratings (which include a guest rating from Gabriela), weigh-in gang:

Gabriela - ★★★1/2, "...because there was some really cool equipment, and a good space and... those hot dogs were pretty good.  And that chair, that was very comfortable - I would sleep there, if I could."

Máximo - ★★★★1/2, "Uhm, because it was kind of gloomy there, but also it was a fun park."

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "I did it five, because: I wanted to do it, because I had a lot of fun, I had a new friend (Gabriela) and I played with all that equipment."

The three took off running once the playground was in sight.

 As stated above, the park is an homage to The Wizard of Oz (not Frank Oz, although that would be rad too), so there are statues of each main character at different corners of the park.

This park is huge, it has tennis courts, two baseball diamonds, various other facilities, as well as the obligatory playground, which was the reason for our visit.

The playground reminds me of Penny Park (which we visited some weeks ago) stylistically.

M on the monkey bars (you can see the Penny Park resemblance).

Happy G.

Gabriela doin' some climbing.

Below you'll see a pic of Gabriela walking on some familiar equipment - the mushroom-esque stools that we've seen a bunch lately, most notably (and to greatest effect) at Bartelme, last month.

As is customary with George Carlos, he organized a cops & robbers game, in which it was my charge to chase down the felons and bring them to justice.  And, as these parks are designed for little ones, I managed to rap my head on plenty of overhead planks in pursuit.

Máximo blurring his way through the maze.

Triple swinging action.

Máximo taking a leap from his, to land on the squishy rubbery (and forgiving) ground.

They had a teeter-totter!

Gabriela, M and G looking at Dorothy and Toto.

G, M and yours truly (photo credit: The Talented Gabriela).  The hot dog vendor Gabriela mentioned in her review was just to M's right.

We took in a kick ball match as we scarfed our hot dogs.
(GCVV repped Chile.) 

And he climbed this tree.

Gabriela is flabbergasted after Máximo sat on her hot dog bun.

Another wonderful thing to mention about this park is that the playground had a cordoned-off section that was for really little ones (presumably so that they wouldn't be run-over by the bigger kids hoofin' it hither and thither).

Fun park, I'd totally go back there with a picnic, because we ended up spending almost as much time there as we did Penny Park.  And that kind of day requires a basket of food for small people.

I'd say four stars - nice park, beautifully kept, spacious and grand.

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