Parx of Chicago

Thursday, August 8, 2013

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

Post #12

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/

Monday, July 22, 2013

07/14/2013 - Mary Bartelme Park, West Loop, 115 S Sangamon Street (Sangamon & Adams)

Post #11

link to panoramic - http://pnr.ma/dIUENr

Props to Tim Stafford on the suggestion for last week's park adventure, as (Mary) Bartelme Park was worth the trip.

Located in the West Loop, this park has interesting topographical elevations and wonderful views of Loop architecture. There are beautiful hills on which people were sunbathing and picnicking (we did the latter).

Those adult accouterments aside... boys, weigh in:

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "It has a lot of equipment... and, there were a lot of kids to play with."

Máximo - ★★★★★, "It was 5 stars for me. And I liked it because of that square spider web thingy and that rope bridge... it was really cool... it was really fun."

These leathery platforms suspended by rope are truly unique. Unfortunately they were terribly hot, but it didn't stop us from jumping all over them (as well as seeking solace beneath them whenever the sun became too much for us).

Máximo's "rope bridge"

These little mushrooms are really cool, they give slightly when you step on them and they're all at different elevations.

It was as hot as a plastic playground equipment that's been sitting in direct sunlight last weekend.

Picnic'n with G & M

Yours truly, sweating my life off underneath the leathery pads (photo by Máximo).

The only thing about which I'd complain was the fact that this cool piece of architecture, that resides on the other side of the park, is supposed to spray a mist... a mist we could've used on such a sweltering afternoon.

Shameless self portrait.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Bartelme-Mary-Park/

Sunday, July 21, 2013

06/30/2013 - Penny Park, 1428 Ashland Avenue, Evanston, IL

Post #10

link to panorama - http://pnr.ma/dcykYu

This is the one! Number TEN! This park is so super-rad, it's hard to get it into pictures or words. For this one, I thank my good friend Kevin and his daughter Nora for sharing it with us.

It's located in Evanston (which is not Chicago, but it was worth the trip), and we rounded up a bit of a posse for this one, including: my sister Franny, her son Cole, our friend Alejandra, her niece Alicia, Kevin, Nora, and, of course, Máximo, Georgie and me.

The crew.

This is an all-wooden park, allegedly made from penny donations. It's wonderfully shaded under some deciduous trees and it's just gorgeous.

Without a need to explain, the boys' reviews were 100% in agreement:

Máximo - ★★★★★

George Carlos - ★★★★★

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

G & his cousin Cole climbin' some wood.

Máxi and me looking down the tire shoot, and back up at Máximo.

La Alicia.

Nora the Explora.

Coley, Ale, Máxi and Nora.

Máximo and George Carlos and a cool shakey implement.

Kev and Máximo on a balance beam.

GCVV

G again, running around.

Again.

Seriously, look at this place.

Nora, Cole and Alejandra.

Majestic.

Alicia and Nora on the slide.

Honestly, though, this is the kind of park that requires a visit to understand how really cool it is.

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=penny+park+evanston+il&fb=1&gl=us&hq=penny+park+evanston+il&hnear=penny+park+evanston+il&cid=0,0,7792442819244864504&ei=2kLsUaujEKnwyQHH8YDoAQ&ved=0CJ4BEPwSMA4

06/23/2013 - Bernhard Moos Elementary School Playground, Humbolt Park, 1711 N California Ave

Post #9

link to panorama - http://pnr.ma/aMhBMd

I have some (serious) catching up to do with this dang blog it seems. They don't write themselves I guess.

We went to this sweltering park over a month ago and I am just now doing the write up on her. Let's get down to business.

Máximo - ★★★, "There's some fun equipment, like... spider web climbing equipment, uhm... it has, uh, monkey bars, but it was really hot too."

George Carlos - ★★★★, "There's one wrong (piece of equipment) and the rest are fun."

Georgie with his sword.

There were some kids there when we arrived and we played with them, but this park has zero shade and we were dying of heat exhaustion - this was one of the first really hot mornings of the summer.