In need of upkeep? Eagles Youth Village playground

Playground: Eagled Youth Village Park
Location: 10th between Arizona and Dakota
Date visited: 3/10/12

Equipment: Two playsets fairly close together in a corner park:

1. Higher playset has climbing, 2 tall straight plastic slides, *lots* of monkey bar variants, and a fireman's pole
   
2. Smaller is a gazebo with miscellaneous climbing, a chain "rope net," and a straight plastic slide (that ends high off the ground)

material: weathered "modern"; scale of space: small
Ages: 3-10
Surface: rubber tire "wood chips" and grass elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: N
Other: grassy areas, colorful mosaic sculptural elements
Access: open lot

Impressions: Nice use of an empty lot to provide play equipment and grass for neighborhood kids, but equipment very weathered and abused, and slides end too high off the ground for smaller toddlers. Some cheery blue benches or tables had been broken to bits and splintered boards left lying around, and the wood chip depth seemed insufficient either to cover the canvas underneath or to make the heights of the equipment appropriate. Lack of swings another drawback.
Overall rating: 5

Penrose: climbing-rich playground just north of Temple

Playground: Penrose
Location: Susquehanna between 11th and 12th
Date visited: Nov. 20, 2011

Equipment:

• Single wandering playset (3-4 ft) with miscellaneous climbing (lots!), solid bridge, and 1 straight metal slide
• Higher playset (4-6 ft) on other side of building with lots of climbing, medium-height monkey bars, fireman's pole, very tall metal slide
• (Used to be a swingset with 4 swings, now all missing)
  

Ages: 1-9
Surface: rubbery surrounded by blacktop
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: N
Other: rec center, grassy area, tennis, basketball courts, pool
Access: not marked

Impressions: Well-worn but pleasantly varied play equipment. Hard to keep an eye on both spaces at once, for families with well separated ages, but reasonably fun in both spaces (especially for climbers!)
Overall rating: 7

East of Temple, Part II: 8th & Diamond playground

Playground: 8th & Diamond
Location: SW corner of 8th & Diamond
Date visited: 10/17/10

Equipment: one playset, generally aimed at younger kids, with miscellaneous climbing, 1 solid bridge, 2 metal slides (3 ft, 4 ft), bench and tic-tac-toe underneath, 4 strap swings (straps at 2 heights), 4 bucket swings
Ages: 1-5
Surface: spongy by equipment, blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: Yes (sprayer on post in cement area, off when visited)
Other: basketball court, small rec center
Access: 6 AM - 10 PM

Impressions: Limited age range, but appealing for that age range -- especially good for kids starting to be interested in ladders, as there are a range of challenges available. Kept up in reasonable shape (e.g. there was a community garden, and a Sunday AM church service in the rec center when visited).
Overall rating: 7

East of Temple: McKinley Eagles playground

Playground: McKinley Eagles Playground
Location: Orkney and Susquehanna (SE corner)
Date visited: 10/17/10

Equipment: 1 substantial playset, including some climbing, 3 metal slides (2 straight 1 spiral), zip-line, row of stepping stones, hanging bar, jointed bridge, puppet window, no swings
Ages: 2-8
Surface: spongy near equipment, blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: No
Other: basketball courts, picnic table
Access: not posted

Impressions: Equipment is reasonable but not extensive: just one playset, no swings, no extras. Aesthetically, there are significant plusses---colorful murals on the adjacent school and colorful cupolas over the platforms of the playset---though we're talking about a sea of blacktop with no trees.
Overall rating: 7

Outskirts of Temple III: Winchester Playground

Playground: Winchester playground
Location: 15th just North of Dauphin
Date visited: 8/28/10

Equipment: Small playground with three compact playsets, colorful metal and plastic:

• Stairs, ladder, straight climbing wall, short and tall plastic slides, curve of "monkey bar" rings, chimes
  
• Wood-look plastic set with sloped and straight climbing walls, novel disk-style wobbly ladder, and tall plastic slide with bumps
  
• Stairs and novel rock-pile steps (like an irregular staircase climber) and two plastic slides (straight & curved) and a (partly functional) ball bearing spin toy

Ages: 1-7
Surface: rubbery around equipment, cement elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 2
Water: N
Other: basketball courts on both sides, small grassy field
Access: open

Impressions: Practically new, colorful, and fun, these little playsets are real gems of fun and challenge -- novel climbing modes, good and varied slides, lots of fun. Will mostly appeal to tots through elementary ages, but worth going out of your way once with an enthusiastic climber. No swings though.
Overall rating: 8

Outskirts of Temple II: Amos playground

Playground: Amos playground
Location: 16th and Berks
Date visited: 8/28/10

Equipment: Small playground and rec. center in a little niche of public space surrounded by Temple ball fields and frat houses. Several play structures:

1. A playset with a river of monkey bars and two metal slides (3 and 6 feet tall)
   
2. An older-style metal-bar "fire truck" to climb around on, including one low metal slide and a wooden bench driver's seat. Low running boards might be reachable by crawlers and standers.
   
3. Angled cement climbing piece (tunnel under, saddle shape above, with window holes)
   
4. Cylindrical jungle gym
   
5. Swingset with 2 strap swings and 2 empty spaces

material: weathered "resin and metal" type; scale of space: small
Ages: 1-8
Surface: rubbery around structures; cement elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: N
Other: Basketball, beautifully muralled/mosaic rec. center, picnic tables in corner, fenced cement zone (for balls and skateboards? no basketball net), closed former pool
Access: 6am - 10pm (not gateable)

Impressions: Very cute but poorly maintained playground offers a fun variety of play equipment for a surprising range of ages in a small space. Lack of shade and bucket swings are a real shame. I gather that this playground was redone within the last 10 years -- it could use a little paint and other love, especially given the contrast with the shining Temple playspaces on the other side of the fence . . .
Overall rating: 6-7

Outskirts of Temple I: Dendy Recreation Center

Playground: Marie Dendy rec. center playground
Location: 10th between Jefferson and Oxford
Date visited: 8/28/10

Equipment: One continuous zone with several play structures:

1. A freestanding metal slide, around 4ft. high
   
2. A large playset with lots of climbing bits and one tall (6-ft) metal slide
   
3. A small playset (platforms around 3ft. tall) with several types of climbing and two plastic slides -- one wide and straight, the other curved
   
4. A neat sculpture with three sleek metal dolphins (good for young climbers) circling a central structure (somewhat vertebral in appearance) -- could be a fountain/sprayer, but not contained in any sort of pool, so might or might not be functional
   
5. A swing set with space for 4 swings, but only 1 bucket was present at time of visit (other spaces empty)

Ages: 1-7
Surface: rubbery around equipment; blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 2
Water: ?
Other: basketball (lots), grassy field with baseball diamond(s), rec. center building, pool, tennis courts with no nets, blacktop areas (hopscotch squares)
Access: not posted (= dawn to dusk?)

Impressions: Serviceable equipment in a pleasant shady space with varied space for play and meandering. Lack of swings a definite minus, cute sculpture and possible water a plus. Little kids might enjoy the dolphins. Space could hold a lot of activity, but nobody was there on a pleasant Sunday morning; still, seems a great neighborhood resource.
Overall rating: 6

Shady but trash-strewn: Cruz Rec Center park

Playground: Cruz Rec. Center
Location: whole city block between 5th-6th, Jefferson-Master (couple blocks north of Girard) -- one playground each in NW and SE corners
Date visited: 6/20/10 (Sunday morning)

Equipment: There are two playgrounds here, separated by a ball field:

1. Little kid zone is in SE corner (enter at 5th & Master). The main playset has a good mix of steps and climbing equipment, as well as 3 slides (2 metal, straight, 1 plastic, curved) and an arched bridge --- better than average for equipment aimed at littler kids. There is also one old-school freestanding metal slide (maybe 5 feet tall, so ok for toddlers) and a "space capsule" that allows small kids to climb an interior ladder into a curved metal basin that a toddler can stand up in (all about 2 feet off the ground). Four bucket swings and a heap of parent benches complete this zone.
   
2. Older kid zone is in the NW corner (gate on Jefferson). There's an old-fashioned metal jungle gym (metal triangles forming a half-sphere), that requires pretty long legs to get onto. Also a more modern playset with lots of things to climb, a fireman's pole, and a single slide (metal, pretty steep). This set was a little beyond the grasp of our 28-month-old, but it might not offer much variety/challenge to actual Big Kids. (The wealth of open space in this park might or might not compensate.) Four strap swings here too.

material: weathered metal/resin (except as noted above), with some graffitti; scale: two medium spaces in a large multipurpose outdoor area
Ages: 1-3, 5-10, respectively?
Surface: rubbery around equipment, blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 2 (great on toddler playset)
Water: N
Other: large basketball court area, baseball field, extra grassy areas; rec. center has a fenced pool
Access: open (=dawn to dusk?)

Impressions: This large park has a nice range of offerings and runaround spaces, and an unusually good set of mature trees made it feel like a respite on a hot day -- probably a great local resource. However, the park had serious trash issues (not so much glass shards as lots of soda bottles and other containers) and a handful of Old Guys hanging around even on a hot Sunday morning, so it needs a little attention to bring it up to the realm of destination. Still, better than average for a summer day with the toddler set. No idea whether it sees any extra traffic when the school across the street is in session.
Overall rating: 7 (toddler area, 8; older kids, 6)