Lanark Park and Recreation Center

An active area park. There’s 4 baseball/​softballs fields near the Owensmouth side, most of the time soccer is being played on the baseball field, there’s a small indoor basketball gym & a few outdoor basketball courts, & newish playground area for kids, skateboard ramp area, & a new turf soccer field.
The park is in the middle of a neighborhood surrounded by a lot of apartments so finding a spot to park is tough. Spots on Topanga open up often because there’s usually a 1 hour limit.
It’s a cool little park but I definitely wouldn’t hang around here after the sun goes down.

We love this place! Our child attended the PRE SCHOOL PROGRAM here and that was nice. The teachers they have are so wonderful and kind. Plus it is only 90 $ a month!!! Great!!! They also did Christmas parents and had a whole huge graduation for the kids. Which was so nice. They really went all out for both of those.
We did soccer as well. That was different just b/​c I didn’t know there was going to be so many kids. But the program was only 40 $ for about 2 months. So it really is a great rec center of you are looking for activities and inexpensive but not ready stuff for your kids to do. :)

Basic general park with baseball and soccer fields. Swimming pool and a small one way parking lot at the corner of strathern and owensmouth that exits near the busy four way stop intersection. Someone goofed with that design! I didn’t see any bike racks or water fountains, but I haven’t walked the entire park yet.

We normally come here at night time when my husband plays basketball with all his friends. There is only one full size court and one half court. The main lights go off around 1030 but there is still plenty of light to play. The only bad thing is the parking they have a lot of restricted parking after 10 or 11pm. And you can’t park in the parking lot because they close it and they give you tickets.

This is my place for my lunch breaks! I heard in the past lots of nasty comment about this place. To be honest it’s not what it used to be back in the days. This is a great place for children and adults. A great place to get some running, reading, all while your child is playing in the playground. This place has baseball diamonds fields (Canoga Park High School — Baseball Field, during the spring season.) They also have 2 outdoors basketball courts, where many people are always playing. I love how they constructed a NEW turf soccer field (lighted).
Pros: Always an ice cream man or raspados/​churritos guy selling stuff!
Cons: Not enough water fountains, so bring some water!
PS: I will return in the summer for their POOL, The cost is only $ 0.50 (YES, fifty cents!)

The park has gotten so much better. The addition of a turf soccer field has changed this park in a positive light.

Haven’t been to this park since high school. It’s been almost 5 years! I was sad that the playground was remodeled because I had good and bad made childhood memories there that I’ll never forget. I enjoyed experimenting the new playground. There’s lots of spinny things where you stand on a pole like thing with circular steps at the bottom and someone spins you around. I saw a kid jumping on one and it looked a little inappropriate because she looked like she was riding on a …
Anyways, I really like that people are so cool with unleashed dogs. I came here with Goofy a few times and had him on his leash to play fetch in case someone would freak out and I’d have to chase after him. Fortunately, no one has complained thus far and many people bring their dogs here off leash. It’s a convenient place for us to visit since it’s walking distance compared to the dog park and he looks so free running around compared to a fenced area. Watching Goofy smiling as he runs through the lushous, lively, green grass as the sun sets behind the playground, reminded me of my youth and how much I enjoyed playing at this park and living life as an innocent and carefree child.
P.S Good burrito/​taco truck on Strathern Street! Candy/​chip trucks on Lanark street.
Watch out when you make turns on Strathern and Topanga, and Lanark and Topanga. My brother and I used to call these corners death corners because we’ve witnessed so many accidents ie someone on Lankark would try to make a left turn while someone on Topanga would try to make a left turn but end up crashing into each other.

This is a really nice park. I needed to get a 3-​mile run in to complete my running goals for a week and chose this park for a first-​time run here. It was a hot day but offered some shade and variety doing laps around the park. I think one lap was a half mile.
The soccer pitch they added with lights is AMAZING. I wish every city park in L.A. had one because soccer is so popular here and people want to play. It’s a well landscaped soccer field. As a person not really into soccer but interested, I’m intrigued by this field. And it was built at an angle near Topanga Blvd. rather than on a corner.
There are also two softball fields and a pool.
There always seem to be a Big Burrito food truck parked on the street south of the park. I haven’t eaten from it but it smells delicious.
I’m grateful for the City of Los Angeles to offer this park.

The Ghetto. (*ghetto birds flying every now and then*)
¡híjole!
Please read Cindy S. review. I totally agree with her. Already gang members are tagging the children’s playground. It’s a children’s playground, not gang turf/​territory!!! It’s a good thing that there is a police station down the street and they do patrol the area often. The park offers a lot of activities for children and teens. They just added a soccer field which is great. There is always The Truck that sells soda, chips, candy, etc. One day, i was too lazy to run to the store to buy toilet paper so I got it off The Truck. I only buy things off the truck when my lazy ass doesn’t want to go to the store. Oh and let’s not forget the shaved ice and the elotes. I love shaved ice with tamarind and strawberry flavor. There are a lot of street vendors who hustle there, it’s how they make their money selling shaved ice, ice cream, elotes, and there is a sweet lady that sells sand toys and mini water guns, how convenient!!!
kids get buck wild on the playground, half the time the parents are not paying attention. I was playing hide and seek with my kids and other kids came up to me and asked if they can play too. Sure, why not?! There are times when you see the teens take over the playground 14−15yr olds just chillin’ on the swings, when other small children are waiting patiently to swing. On their phone just texting away, sitting on the swing, when other children are just waiting.
There is a public pool as well. They keep it very clean. Only opens in the summertime and it is never packed. You think it would be, but it’s not. Only $ 1 to get in and 0.50 cents if you have your library card.
Don’t be scared of the vatos, they’re pretty cool.

I like this place.
First off it is right down the street and they have a nice play area for kids.
New soccer field and basketball court and swimming pool.
Big baseball diamonds.
My biggest complaint is it is on Topanga, a big, 3 lane street with a 45 mph speed limit. To close to a big street for me.

Ghetto. Off the bat I’m just gonna get that out of the way. They remodeled the kids playground which was GREAT! they made a good call on that. Except a couple of IDIOTS/​LOW LIFES have already begun destroying the play area with all their BS graffiti. GGGGRRRRRR! I mean WTF!!! I can almost guarantee that those responsible for that DON’T even pay taxes! and they live off welfare. Anyway the upgrade of that was def in dier need for the place, they have all kinds of cool things for the kids to do and they have one of the higher slides i’ve seen around the area. The crowds that come here are diverse (us latinos take the lead) I don’t make this park my first choice BECAUSE of the type of crowd that comes here but I admit that my daughter def picks this place above all the rest as of late. I can’t say DON’T GO because it is an awesome PARK for KIDS, at least that playground is awesome.