Deserves its name: Hillside Rec. Center

Playground: Hillside Recreation Center
Location: Fountain St. near Fowler
Date visited: 10/16/11

Equipment: A tightly packed bunch of pieces:

• Two hobby horses (horse and toucan)
  
• A low playset with curved plastic and wide metal slides, misc. climbing
  
• 4 bucket swings and 4 strap swings
  
• A cement climbing turtle (with handholds on top and a tunnel underneath), old but loved
  
• A higher playset with climbing of various kinds, a high spiral plastic slide and a single metal slide, fireman's pole

material: modern resin/metal; scale: small
Ages: 1-8
Surface: rubbery around equipment; blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: N
Other: basketball, swimming pool, picnic tables, rec. building
Access: (not posted)

Impressions: Decent neighborhood tot lot combined with pool and sports spaces. Nothing broken or missing, but not inspired either, and completely lacking in shade. Nearby elementary school probably uses it some. No houses nearby -- the recreation space is wedged into a slice of land between hard-to-build jungly hillsides, but parking is free on the other side of Fountain Road (and the Ivy Ridge train station is nearby too).
Overall rating: 6-7

Plenty to do for all ages: Kendrick Rec Center

Playground: Kendrick Rec. Center
Location: SW corner of Ridge and Roxborough Aves (enter from Pensdale)
Date visited: 10/16/11

Equipment: Several separate pieces:

• A lower playseet with *lots* of climbing and a double metal slide (around 4 feet)
  
• The larger playset has several platforms at 4-6 feet, lots of climbing, a fireman's pole, several metal slides (tall straight, medium spiral, and medium double), an elevated crawling tube, solid bridge, etc.
  
• A freestanding stretch of monkey bars
  
• 4 bucket swings, and room for 4 strap swings (but the latter all missing)

material: modern resin/metal; scale: medium
Ages: 1-11
Surface: rubbery/blacktop
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: N
Other: roller hockey rink, baseball and football field(s), a grassy hill, basketball, tennis, giant rec. center, extra grass
Access: not marked

Impressions: Colorful and interesting equipment in the midst of a large mixed recreational space (we got to watch a game of flag football during our visit), yet sheltered in he interior of the block. Nice.
Overall rating: 8

Cutting edge getting dull: Manayunk's Pretzel Park

Playground: Pretzel Park playground
Location: Cresson between Cotton and Rector
Date visited: 5/1/11

Equipment: Several zones and freestanding pieces:

• A small playset with a climbing wall, curved plastic slide, rope climbing net, and space for some missing element


• A ring-shaped merry-go-round (crumbling in spots)


• A pole/platform sit-and-spin


• A wavy "balance beam" that wobbles for a challenge


• A large playset with climbing (ladder, wall, and steps), suspended chair and wobble platforms, several small seats that can be spiraled up and down their poles, and several "rip line" hand-holds for sliding along a sturdy track.


• Two pairs of swings, bucket (battered) and strap.

material: modern "adventure-style" ropes, rubber, and metal; scale: medium playspace in a small but hilly park
Ages: 1-12
Surface: rubbery throughout
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: N
Other: dog park, grassy areas, pebbly paved path
Access: open (dawn to dusk?)

Impressions: A neat-looking modern-style adventure playground with offerings to challenge big kids and others well scaled for tots. However, it's taken a real beating since installation and has the cracks and missing elements to prove it (making me wonder whether this style of play equipment has a limited lifespan). Could use some renovation and maybe an old-fashioned tall slide -- nothing here lit up my 3-year-old's face like the simpler fare at Venice Island.
Overall rating: 7

Scenic but forgotten: Venice Island Recreation Center

Playground: Venice Island playground
Location: across the canal and towpath from Main Street between bridges at Cotton and Lock streets
Date visited: 5/1/11

Equipment: Two playsets:

1. One aimed at littler kids, with platforms of 2-4 feet, four plastic slides (including one partial spiral and one with bumps) -- note that both sets of double straight slides have puncture holds -- misc. climbing, animal puzzle tic-tac-toe


2. The one for bigger kids spans two levels of the lot (two bridges arch over the drop) with two sets of double plastic slides, fireman's poles, and various climbing

Also a separate area with stairs and space for four swings, all missing.
material: modern resin & metal; scale: medium playspace in a larger recreation zone
Ages: 2-8
Surface: rubbery around equipment; blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 2
Water: N
Other: basketball, extra enclosed blacktop area, pool, some grassy area, rec. center building with roof-covered area and mosaic walls
Access: ?

Impressions: Nice mix of equipment -- the double level makes that set feel more novel/adventurous than it is -- but badly in need of upkeep, both to remove trash/rubble/graffitti and to fix broken equipment. Somehow the location, with swank Main Street brewpub on one side and the river on the other, seems like it deserves better, but perhaps the isolated location (across the canal from main walks and drives) and/or changing Manayunk demographics (?) make it hard to bring pressure to bear...
Overall rating: 6