Olney Park & Recreation Center - Philadelphia, PA
N 40° 02.512 W 075° 07.014
18T E 490027 N 4432410
Local, urban park amid decay, poverty and crime. The park features many amenities, beautiful, but often abused, vandalized and destroyed by its residents.
Waymark Code: WMA7BQ
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 11/27/2010
Views: 2
Normally, one might enjoy coming to park like this, but, I'd advise against it, especially in the late afternoon when the sun is close to setting. The park is open from dawn to dusk and features tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, fountain, two war memorials, a nice mural and of course the recreation center.
Parking is along the street. Vandals and savages have tried their best to destroy this beautiful place, but action committees and caring citizens have come to the rescue and have improved it and restored what they could on a limited budget. The Civil War statue has been attacked by local savages time and again, each time it is fixed, it angers the criminals and they graffiti it again and try to tear it down. It still stands proudly in the park. The playground is beautiful and in terrific shape; it looks almost new. When I visited in the afternoon on a hot summer afternoon, only a few kids were using it which was surprising.
There is a large plot of unused ground, green grass and a few trees. There is a path which leads around the area as well. When you first enter from Champlost street there is a Lions Club marker which reads:
This Grove is Dedicated
To the Use & Pleasure
Of the People of Olney
By The
LINDLEY OLNEY
LIONS CLUB
In memory of its
Deceased Members
May 1957
The recreation building is located on E. Godfrey Avenue, which is also where you would first encounter the multi-war memorial, fountain, courts and playground. Olney Recreation Center is a M-F. Recreation Dept. and supervises homework, sports, games, visual and sponsors performing arts. and can be reached at 215-685-2889.