Baxter Park, Homewood North: 7600 Frankstown Avenue
In my year of visiting Pittsburgh’s parks and playgrounds, I’ve made the disheartening discovery that park benches can be controversial. In some places, “sitting around” is viewed as suspect (rightfully or not), and benches are removed, rendering public spaces less functional for everyone.
Baxter Park is in Homewood, with a school on one side and a large, boarded-up apartment building on the other. There’s a smattering of new-ish playground equipment, a colorful mural that covers a long retaining wall, some large shade trees, a walkway, and a few benches.
At the far end of the lawn, a man is engaged in an animated conversation on a cellphone; his occasional laughter and exclamations soar through the air. Closer to me, and an older man wearing a Pirates cap and a bomber jacket leans back into the bench, an equally older-looking dog resting in the sun at his feet. Both canine and human look my way, and I nod a greeting. I get the impression this is a regular spot for both of them. A slow walk around the block, a sit and rest in the park, and a slow walk back home. There are as many reasons for sitting on a park bench as there are people sitting on them. That shouldn’t be controversial; that’s common sense.
In 2024, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy received approval and some initial funding to develop and implement substantial improvements to Baxter. The community-endorsed plan is available on the EngagePGH website. I was happy to see that benches and picnic pavilions were requested.
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