Chartiers Park, Windgap: 1527 Summerdale Street
My experience entertaining young children is very limited. Still, something tells me that an outing to Chartiers Park & Playground would be a big hit for kids of all personalities and abilities. I say this because my inner 8-year-old kept oohing and aahing and feeling more than slightly jealous of the nearby Early Childhood Center students who were making full use of the various options for play and exercise.
What makes Chartiers extra special? For starters, there are slides built into the hillside, clearly riffing on Frick Park’s “blue slide” but shorter and broader, allowing for an adult or older sibling to accompany a child not quite old enough to go alone. Slabs of stacked rock are strategically placed for scramblers who want to climb back to the top of the slide. The playground offers a combination of novel and standard equipment, many styles of swings, and (my favorite) a lookout tower complete with a walkway. Come warmer weather, the athletic fields and spray park are a short paved pathway away, with both featuring plenty of seating.
Kudos to the community, the various city departments involved, and the playground architect who designed such a beautiful and fun space. I have no idea if the neighborhood children will look back fondly at their time spent playing here, but I certainly hope so!
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