Hays Park, Neighborhood Park: 8 Hillburn Street
Before someone built the playground, invented the automobiles that rocket along Mifflin Road, and constructed the homes lining Hillburn Street, there were these railroad tracks. In some places, the line between the people and the railroad authority is clearly defined and prominent. In Hays, that’s not the case. And so, it’s not surprising that in this small, lightly careworn park, which was enclosed in regulation-grade fencing, people have made their way to the tracks.
When all is quiet on the Norfolk Southern and CSX lines, there’s a shaded, mossy-roofed pavilion with a bird nest in the rafters and a picnic table for those who want to sit and eat a sandwich, or have a smoke, or talk on the phone without everyone else hearing the conversation.
Moments of tranquility are punctuated by the sound of the whistle and vibrations on the ground and in the air. Here comes another freight train.
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