09/01/2013 - Horner Park, Irving Park Neighborhood, Montrose and California

Post #15

Link to panorama - http://pnr.ma/cMIdNv

Lateness seems to be the trend with my blogging, but we do manage to go parkin' nearly every Sunday.  Two Sundays ago it was Horner Park up on north California (& Montrose).

M & G at the field house doors.

This park is HUGE, although we only really scoped the playground and main building, it's supposed to be one of the biggest (at a whopping 55 acres).

The ratings, boys:

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "I liked it because it really had a dead rat, I had fun and I met a new friend with a Power Ranger, that's why I called it five."

Máximo - ★★★ 1/2, "I'd call it 3 1/2, because there's a broken zip-line, and there wasn't that much, but there was a tire swing, there was some fun equipment and I kind of liked it."

Yes, there was really a dead rat, but I can't blame the park for that, and after the boys made a big deal out of it and showed all of the other pint-sized park-goers the body, it was removed/tossed away from the playground by another boy's grandfather.

Horner Park is named for a former governor, Henry Horner, who was governor of Illinois from 1933 until his death in 1940, and not (unfortunately) little Jack Horner of pie infamy. 

(statue stitched together in PS)

Detail of statue inscription

Though good information, a history lesson was not our reason for visiting Horner Park.

Upon our arrival we found some LOOT!  Which was a good sign until we stumbled upon the deceased rat.

M with loot.

 There isn't anything inherently wrong with the park, really, we just weren't feeling it, I guess.  Maybe I wasn't caffeinated properly, but I just didn't enjoy myself as much as I usually do on these trips. 

standard equipment

 Nothing struck me as terribly original in its design, layout or content.  There were plenty of swings (8 in all, I believe), but nothing to spark an exciting game or take us on a make-believe jaunt.

M and half of the park's swings.

GCVV and some sort of labyrinth-type of marble game that spun. 

Nothing blew our socks off... you know?

Máximo with socks still securely fashioned.

G-Bomb on a spring-motorcycle

Yours truly on the same motorcycle (at the request of young Georgie)

A decent tire swing.

Again, the playground at Horner Park isn't horrible, just underwhelming.  Máximo is probably closer to a fair review, especially since he pointed out the broken zip-line, which is, indeed, bogus.

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

08/18/2013 - Commercial Park (Commercial Club Playground), West Town, 1845 W. Rice Street (near Chicago & Wood)

Post #14

Link to panorama - http://pnr.ma/cHWCcH

I was recently (thankfully) taken and introduced to Tecalitlan Restaurant (Chicago & Wood), and noticed this park sitting behind it, abutting the abandoned lot next to the restaurant.  Naturally, I used this discovery to passively choose my next jaunt with the boys.

Located at Rice & Wolcott, Commercial Park was the perfect end to my weekend with the boys, especially since it was hot out and this park is water-equipped.

That being said, the boys rated it pretty high:

Máximo - ★★★★★, "Uhm, it was pretty fun, I liked the worm that was coming out of the ground, I liked the equipment and I liked the water thing."

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "I wanted to do five stars too... because, it was fun, I got to go in the water park and get all muddy, that was fun.  AND, and, I just wanted to say that the last part, for five stars, is... [really long pause] Máximo going into the water."

The boys both shouted with glee from the car, as soon as we pulled up, Georgie having seen the water and Máximo the snake:

I barely got the "sign" pic taken before they made a break for it.

The snake is actually quite cool, and it's body curves around the park, coming up at another point, and remaining a feature through the artistic design of "painting" its body by the presence of different colored soft-ground cushion playground ground (there has to be a name for that stuff - Google?) playground rubber mulch.

The snake.

Detail of one of the snake's mosaic eyes.

George atop the body of the snake (snake-colored rubber mulch visible on ground).

In the picture above, behind George, you can see where a fence divides a really nice baseball diamond from the rest of the park.  I'm not sure how it is utilized, but it was empty yesterday (on a Sunday at noon, rather).

The water equipment is underwhelming (not bad, just not super-creative - I'm being a choosy beggar, actually, because it was heaven-sent):  one central post with four different heads coming off of it; each sprays a differently shaped stream of water.

The aquatic attractions and the rare sight of a still-dry Georgie.

 Another couple of things to mention about the water is that there are a few spots where it is sort of standing and blackening the concrete and/or rubber mulch with slippery mossy stagnant water.  This is kind of gross and could cause a slip, but the kids didn't even seem to notice.

Some scuzzy standing water visible here (I didn't really take a pic of it).

The dry equipment was really nice some run-of-the-mill stuff, but in great condition and a wonderful mix of newer and classic-style obstacles.

They had a "this thing."

Every playground has to have some web action these days.

Slides, of course.

They have 3 or 4 different styles of monkey bar and hanging implements.

Rock wall stuff.

Also the wonderful smaller kid versions of everything.

There's this - look at the joy in this one - no concern for car seats.

We popped our shoes off and went nuts here, "I fiple-dog dare you." ("Fiple" is a made-up multiplier, chosen simply because of its pleasing sound.)

On the subject of dogs:

I felt the need to mention this, if you have a dog.

All in all, a great park; definitely worth getting into a car and taking a stroll over to.  I'll side with the boys on this - five is fair, although maybe I'll knock a half off for the garbage and recycle cans that were filled to overflowing and swarming with bees... did I mention that?

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Commercial-Club-Playground/

08/04/2013 - Julia de Burgos Park, Humboldt Park, 1805 N.Albany Ave. (The 606)

Post #13

Taken while inside center of spiderweb apparatus.

Link to panorama #1- http://pnr.ma/cfRvuz

Link to panorama #2 - http://pnr.ma/eqMyXu

Last week we visited this unique park that only consists of 3 items (in addition to some benches and a non-functioning drinking fountain): a huge spiderweb rope climber (the main event), a small climbing apparatus with holes and an unassuming spider sculpture that littler ones can climb all over.

It is located in Humboldt Park and, as the Chicago Park District website puts it, right at "The 606 - the planned multi-use recreational trail being built along the elevated railline along Bloomingdale Avenue (approximately 1800 North) from Ashland (1600 West) to Ridgeway (3732 West)," so the rail line borders and shades the park somewhat.

The rail line is visible in this one, and Georgie provides a perspective as to the size of that thing.

Cuttin' to the chase, rate this thingy:

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "because, that (the spiderweb) was connected, and there's a black part, and we were having so much fun that I didn't realize that THAT'S (points to spider sculpture) a spider."

Máximo - ★★★1/2, "The giant spiderweb climbing thingy, was cool, that probably made two stars.  I also liked the butterfly climbing thing, and that probably made the third star, and the other thing - it didn't have a lot of equipment, just three things - it was still pretty good."

G-bomber, climbin'

That thing is fun to climb, and to be perfectly honest with you, could be the only thing at the park, as far as I'm concerned.  It's a lot of fun.

You can jump on it.

There's a hole in the middle, presumably to drain water.

But you can peek through it too.

You can also seek refuge from the sun beneath the leathery part, as Máximo illustrates here.

The spider.

 

The spider wearing a Chile hat, and there's George Carlos!

We sat near the peak of each point (leaving one unattended) and the meeting came to order.

Meeting adjourned! 

I liked this park.  I'd give it a four, I think - even though it was lacking in facilities - that spiderweb rocks.

This will be the jump-off for that trail, so this hidden away park may get more visitors soon.  Go check it out, it's unique in the truest sense.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/julia-de-burgos-park/

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/