Fred Douglas Park

With the Maxwell area being a source of recent activity on the east side, I’m pretty surprised to see that no one’s reviewed Douglas Park. I’m guessing that as more people start to populate this side of Main St, the review ghost town might change. Douglas Park is an attractive area staple that should entice people throughout the general area to check it out, not just neighborhood residents.
For a residential/​neighborhood green space, Douglas Park has a lot to offer. The park itself offers a variety of potential experiences: sports, gatherings, dog walking, book reading, relaxation, etc. It boasts a soccer field, baseball diamond, hills, large shade trees, and a playground. I was impressed with the maintenance the park enjoys. Sometimes, in certain areas of the city, landscaping tends to be an ignored (or, blighted) part of the equation. Not so at Douglas Park. While it’s, unquestionably, a neighborhood park, it’s big enough and has enough extras to attract people from all over to enjoy what it has to offer. And one of the biggest pluses it has to offer is proximity to Downtown and sweet views. Remember those hills and shade trees I talked about earlier? Well, if you go up that way to enjoy a book or a nap, before you get too engrossed in your activity, look up and to the west. If you do, you’ll be pretty happy with a gorgeous view of the skyline. On a mid-summer’s day, you might be shocked with how much you enjoy the view — and the silence. There’s decent enough parking options, seeing as the park isn’t overrun with outside visitors… yet. If you haven’t checked out Douglas Park or (this section of) Maxwell, take a Saturday and swing by. I think you’ll be happy with what you find. Explore your city.