Post #17
This, I hope, is the most grossly tardy blog post ever... 5 months (and some change) late, and there is another to follow. But the boys and I are back "on the park," and hope not to fall out of the habit as bad this year.
Maplewood Park is located, as the Park District website says, "three blocks west of Western Avenue, one-half block north of North Avenue," in West Town.
We were there on a day ill-equipped for water, so we have not rated it's wet facilities... but here is how the boys weighed in:
Máximo - ★★★, "I voted 3, three stars, because it had lots of climbing stuff that I liked, and I kind of liked playing there... and yeah."
George Carlos - ★★★★★, "Because, I had a lot of fun, I got to sit in that big chair (big swing chair, which is always a highlight for GC), got to play with you and, uhm, that's it, that's why I had five."
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| Before we left, Máximo and I had a "thread the needle," throw down. |
Great park, I have nothing negative to say about it. There's a big field for baseball and what not. It's equipped for big kids and tiny kids alike. The equipment is in great condition and it is sprawling enough that our tag-type games aren't restricted by limited space.
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| We've got slides! |
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| Climbing apparatuses! |
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| Stuff to jump and fall onto! |
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| Cages! |
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| GCVV makin a b-line. |
Decent toy-type equipment (e.g. periscope, gears encased in plastic [pictured below])... you know... toy-type equipment.
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| Toy equipment |
Not to be overlooked is the classic monkey bars. A playground staple, these things are wonderful for exercise, as well as a way to be unreachable for those intermediate-expert climbers.
Parks that don't have them should just stop frontin'.
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| Monkey bars. |
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| Q-Bert lookin' box stairs. |
The presence of the "mushroom cap," stool things can show the newness of a park - Maplewood has 'em, and they're fun to run around on.
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| "Mushroom caps" visible behind George Carlos here. |
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| A zen moment for my sons. |
The periscope actually worked, which is kind of rare in the city.
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| Periscope. |
All in all, a great park, not terribly over or under-whelming, but consistent, clean and well planned.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Maplewood-Playlot-Park/
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