Bud Hammer Park & Playground, Neighborhood Park: 140-198 Bigelow Street
While Greenfield has a few bustling main streets, it’s primarily a residential neighborhood wedged between Oakland, Hazelwood, Squirrel Hill, and Schenley Park. As this is Pittsburgh, it’s hilly (LOL) but more importantly, Greenfield offers a cozy, home-spun quality that reminds me of the opening sequence of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Bud Hammer Park is home to the Greenfield Baseball Association. Started in 1951, it’s one of the City’s longest-standing youth leagues. And when it comes to local sports, everyone loves a “neighborhood kid makes it big” story. So bragging that former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is a financial contributor is certainly expected.
But recognition is also due to Bud Hammer, for whom the park is named. Hammer was a local school janitor and baseball coach who taught an entire generation of young ‘burghers the skills needed to be champions on (and more importantly) off the field.
Creating a strong community requires both funding and boots-on-the-ground action. Perhaps this is why the athletic field, park, and playground remain vibrant and valued spaces for Greenfield residents. Everyone and everything has a useful place, and when you’re playing the right role, magic happens.
Love Pittsburgh’s City Steps? Get a Copy of the NEW Book!
City Steps of Pittsburgh: A History & Guide explores the history of the steps and the neighborhoods in which they were built. It also includes 13 guided walks and 20+ locations worth visiting—all with detailed descriptions, directions, and resources for creating your own urban hiking adventure. All areas of Pittsburgh are represented: north, south, east, and west. The book is available through all online shops (including our publisher) and local and independent bookstores.