Park Picnic Project

An ongoing project to visit, picnic in, and discuss every park in the City of Saint Louis.

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Carnegie Park: Picnic #63

Friday, June 17, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

What was consumed: Nothing memorable.

Park assessment: This is a strange park. It’s mostly an open field with a few trees and bisected by Utah St. It’s so close to the very welcoming Benton Park that it almost goes unnoticed. Bounded by 3226 Indiana Ave to the north and 3334 Indiana Ave to the south, it’s located only ½ block from the much more welcoming Benton Park.

Picnic assessment: We had a nice Friday evening picnic in this very quiet park.

Pertinent research and facts: According to BentonPark.com, this park was originally intended to be a public market in 1899. However, that never happened and it was turned into a public park in 1904. I was unable to find much more about what’s happened here in the intervening years.

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk, City Website  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The park ordinance year is listed as 1899 but it is described as being developed into a public park in 1904. Which is it?

Park recommendations: A community garden or dog park would fit great in this park. A the minimum, this park needs a sign so that people know it’s a park and not just a bunch of vacant lots. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if they built infill homes and apartments on this land.  

Nappability: Low, it’s a little too isolated for my napping preference.

Nearby features:  Benton Park, Antique Row, The Choice, Whisk Bakeshop, The Mud House, Foam

Fellow Park People: None, really. A couple people walked by, headed for Benton Park.

Access:  Metrobus #11 (Jefferson) and #73 (Cherokee)

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Gravois Park: Picnic #62

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

What was consumed: Apple slices, carrots and hummus, cheeses

Park assessment: Gravois Park is a really special place. Having been a park for over 200 years it feels that the city has grown up around it. It has the classic park design of an entire city block surrounded by homes. This layout is seen elsewhere around town at Lafayette Park and Hyde Park, among others. It’s like a working class Lafayette Park, where the park is surrounded by modest single family homes and 4 family flats instead of upper crust mansions.

Picnic assessment: This park had the most bugs of any park we have visited yet! Many different types of bugs, too. The bugs combined with the very long grass and very hot weather did not make for good picnic conditions. We made the best of it though. This is a classic picnic issue: how long will the grass be? There’s no way to predict it as far as I can tell. The park’s department works hard to keep up with the mowing, but it’s a never-ending task. Later I heard from a friend who lives nearby that Gravois Park’s grass was mowed the next day.

Pertinent research and facts: Gravois Park is one of the 3 oldest parks in the city that were all set aside for the public in 1812 (along with Laclede and Mt. Pleasant parks). The park is dedicated to Louis “Uncle Louis” Buckowitz, who was Director of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department for eight years and 10th Ward alderman from 1977 to 1986.

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk, City Website  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The name Gravois is misspelled Gravios in several places.

Park recommendations:  I’d love to see the bandstand used for concerts. The park layout is excellent for spreading out blankets to enjoy live music. Renovations to some of the surrounding buildings would go a long way towards making this a more welcoming park, as well.

Nappability: Low. Too much traffic for my napping tastes.

Nearby features:  A few of the nearby establishments include the STL Style House, Flowers and Weeds, Tower Taco, and the Buttery. More generally, it is close to Cherokee Street and South Grand.

Fellow Park People: A pretty good number of people were walking through the park and some folks played at the playground.

Access:  Metrobus #10 Gravois, #11 Chippewa, #70 Grand, #73 Cherokee

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Photos of Christy Park, Picnic #66

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Dickman Park: Picnic #61

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

What was consumed: Chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, iced tea.

Park assessment: Dickman Park is a blank slate. It is largely an empty field with a couple trees. There are no paths, sidewalks, playgrounds, benches, or even a sign to suggest this is a park. Even the boundaries are porous as there is no real dividing line between the park and adjacent properties’ backyards. It is located in the Baden neighborhood at the corner of Bittner St. and Switzer Ave, just across the railroad tracks from Calvary Cemetery.

Picnic assessment: Claire unveiled her new picnic basket that she found at the Lafayette Square house tour market. We’re a real picnic club now! It only took us 61 outings to decide to invest in a picnic basket. We picnicked under a delightfully shady tree on a beautiful summer afternoon. Oddly though, it was pretty much the only tree in the park besides a few newly planted saplings.

Pertinent research and facts:

Until a few years ago, neighbors didn’t know that Dickman Park was a park — they thought it was vacant land owned by the city, because it was so unimproved. When neighbors inquired about what might happen to the parcels, they were surprised to find out that the land was a park, without even a sign.

This part of Baden, particularly around Dickman Park, is the target of the Urban Vitality & Ecology Initiative pilot project, sponsored by the City of St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Missouri Department of Conservation. As part of this effort to improve access to green space in St. Louis, this area will be improved to benefit residents. The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) has initiated a buy-out of homes in the surrounding area, and is purchasing homes that experience substantial sewer backups. This will leave swaths of vacant land, intended to be converted into water retention basins similar to the basins at the end of Gilmore Avenue a few blocks west from the park. One of intentions of the pilot program is to create more park-like spaces in these vacant parcels. A short-term project of the pilot will be improvements to Dickman Park, including walking trails and benches.

It is unclear who this park is named after, and to some degree whether it is named Dickman Park or possibly Dickmann Park. It would make sense that it were named after Joseph F. Dickmann  or Bernard F. Dickmann who were both city officials. This Baden history site indicates that there was once a playground in Baden named after Joseph F Dickmann, but it does not appear to be in the same location as modern-day Dickman. 

Elsewhere on the neighborhood history website it says there was a train station serving Baden at Bittner and Switzer on the rail line that runs to St. Charles.

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk, City Website  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The city website says that Dickman Park is named after Mayor Bernard Dickmann. Either there is a typo somewhere or this park has misspelled the last name of the very person it is intended to honor. Or maybe it’s named after someone else by the name Dickman.

Park recommendations:  We’re looking forward to seeing Dickman Park as a real neighborhood amenity, hopefully through the improvements coming through the Urban Vitality & Ecology Initiative. Some sidewalk access would be valuable, as it’s nearly impossible to walk into the park from the street.

Nappability: Variable, depending on the timing of nearby trains and your ability to nap through their passing.

Nearby features:  Our Lady of Holy Cross Church, the North Broadway commercial strip in Baden, Dogtown Pizza factory

Fellow Park People: No one else was in the park, but some people were hanging out nearby in their front yard facing the park.

Access:  Metrobus #40 and #78

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Photos of Strodtman Park, Picnic #65

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Photos of Mestres Park, Picnic #64

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Photos of Carnegie Park, Picnic #63

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McDonald Park: Picnic #60

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick, Kelcye, Paul, Tia, Liz T.

What was consumed: Chips and salsa, gin cocktails

Park assessment: McDonald Park sits just off Morgan Ford Rd nestled in the Tower Grove South neighborhood. Located at Utah St. and Bent Ave, it is about 3 acres in size. It features a baseball field, soccer field, a playground, swings, a pop-up prairie garden, and restrooms.

Picnic assessment: We had unusually high turnout for this picnic! Our lesson learned was that if we remember to invite people for a picnic that often they will join us, especially if it’s close to where they live.

Pertinent research and facts: McDonald Park is the only park maintained by the city in the 15th Ward. In 2015 the residents of the 15th Ward proposed a project to fix up the restrooms in the park as part of their participatory budgeting process. Relatively new to the St. Louis political world, participatory budgeting is a neat process where residents propose projects for neighborhood improvements and then vote on which ones are completed using ward money that the alderperson makes available. It’s a pretty progressive model considering that in most wards the alderperson alone would decide how to spend the money. The people of the 15th Ward spoke with their votes and they wanted park improvements! This project also takes advantage of the Prop P matching funds that the City offers for projects in city parks.  

In addition, the Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association created a McDonald Park Improvement Committee. Among the goals of the committee are to fix up the playground equipment, including the damaged slides. It’s a relatively new committee so time will tell what they will accomplish, but we wish them well! I went to one of the committee meetings and learned that playground equipment is outrageously expensive. 

Links to other reviews and descriptions:  Play St. Louis had some legitimate critiques. The good news is that the 15th Ward is working to get things fixed. Also, see STL City Talk and the City Website. 

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The city lists it as 3.00 acres, which is pretty close to my measurement of 2.8 acres.

Park recommendations:  We recommend fixing the broken slides at the playground and fixing the spray fountain. The kids in the neighborhood would really like the fountain if it were in working order.

Nappability: High.

Nearby features:  The Morgan Ford commercial strip including Stella Blues, Tower Grove Pub, The Amsterdam, Great American Human Foosball, Local Harvest, Colorado Bob’s, and more

Fellow Park People: A youth playing at the soccer practice goal.

Access:  Metrobus #8 on Morgan Ford

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Kaufmann Park: Picnic #59

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

Park assessment: Kaufmann park offers green grass, shady trees, walking paths, and a few benches for anyone looking to stop and spend a few minutes. This park is pleasant but not especially notable. Parks like this are a reminder that not every park needs to have a gimmick, monument, playground, or long list of amenities. This park looks pretty neat on satellite maps with its sidewalks that are shaped like a starfish. Officially, Kaufmann Park is the area bounded by Tucker, Chestnut, 13th, and Pine and is part of Memorial Plaza downtown.  

Picnic assessment: Our time here was brief as we had already visited the adjacent Poelker Park and Washington Square Park. We might have stayed longer if there were picnic tables.

Pertinent research and facts: The park is named after St. Louis’s last Republican mayor, Aloys P. Kaufmann who served as mayor from 1943 to 1949. He was elected President of the Board of Aldermen in April 1943 and four months later assumed duties as mayor after Mayor William Becker’s untimely death in a glider crash at Lambert Airport.

More on the crash from wikipedia: 

On the Sunday afternoon of August 1, 1943, St. Louis aircraft manufacturer William B. Robertson was hosting the first public demonstration of a new Waco CG-4 glider, built under sub-contract by his company. As a crowd of spectators watched at the Lambert St. Louis Airport, Mayor Becker, Robertson, and other St. Louis luminaries boarded the glider that was towed along by a transport plane for a flight over the city. Immediately after the release of the towing cable, the right wing of the glider broke off, and it plummeted from an altitude of 1,500 feet, killing all ten persons on board. Becker was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Aloys P. Kaufmann, president of the city's Board of Aldermen, succeeded Becker as Mayor of St. Louis.

The park was founded in 1932 as part of Memorial Plaza. It was renamed for Aloys P. Kaufmann in 1989, five years after his death. This pre-Arch photo from 1932 shows the recently cleared land for Memorial Plaza (outlined in red), including Kaufmann Park.  

Photo credit: Ted McCrea Collection, Missouri History Museum

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk, City Website  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The map showing the park location misspells the name of the park Kaufman. The size is listed as 1.00 acres, but my measurement comes out at about 2 acres.

Park recommendations: I recommend a sign of some sort identifying this area as Kaufmann Park. Currently there is no sign.

Nappability: Very nappable. Nap wherever you please.

Nearby features: City Hall, downtown, Scottrade Center, SLU Law School, Peabody Opera House, Central Library, Smoothie King, jury duty, etc

Fellow Park People: There were some bros playing frisbee (SLU Law students, perhaps?)  and some homeless people.

Access:  Metrolink: Civic Center or 8th & Pine. Metrobus: Many of the downtown buses pass near here.

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Washington Square Park: Picnic #58

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

Park assessment: Let’s not compare this park with Washington Square Park in New York. That Washington Square Park is a world famous community gathering spot in one of the most famous and culturally defining neighborhoods of the 20th century, Greenwich Village. This Washington Square Park is more of a lawn in between City Hall and the Municipal Courts building in downtown St. Louis. This one wouldn’t compare favorably with that one. It has pretty cool statues of Pierre Laclede and Ulysses S Grant, though.

Picnic assessment: It’s a nice place to eat lunch or have a cigarette break if you’re a city worker. They even have picnic tables set out.

Pertinent research and facts: As best I can tell the city purchased this land in 1840 to be a park and was bounded by Market, 12th (modern Tucker), Clark, and 13th. Later, City Hall was built on the land between 1890 and 1904. Still later the Municipal Courts building was built. Check out Mark Groth’s post at STL City Talk which has an excellent history of this park and the statues in it.

Links to other reviews and descriptions: The City’s description is so sparse as to be nearly meaningless.

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The city lists the size as 13.45 acres which presumably includes the entire area bounded by Market, Tucker, Clark, and 14th Street. The majority of this space is actually the CIty Hall and Courts buildings and their extensive surface parking lots. I place the area of actual park-like space to be about ½ acre.

Park recommendations:  If the City actually wants this place to feel like a park, they could start by turning the the large surface parking lots into grass and trees. It might be a pretty cool park actually.

Nappability: Not recommended. I imagine napping outside of City Hall is frowned upon by the man.

Nearby features:  City Hall, downtown, Scottrade Center, SLU Law School, Peabody Opera House, Central Library, Smoothie King, jury duty, etc

Fellow Park People: On a Saturday almost no one was here. Try again at lunchtime on a sunny weekday and you’d have different results.

Access:  Metrolink: Civic Center. Metrobus: Many of the downtown buses pass near here.

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Poelker Park: Picnic #57

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

What was consumed: Carrots and hummus, Gin cocktails

Park assessment: The primary feature of Poelker Park is a totally sweet larger-than-life statue of a firefighter saving a child from a burning building. It sets a reverential yet badass tone for the whole park. Although named for a St. Louis mayor, Poelker Park is all about St. Louis Firefighters.

Other than the monument dedicated to past, present, and future Saint Louis Firefighters there’s not much else going on in this park on an average day. However, for special events such as marathons, 5ks, charity walks, music festivals, and food festivals this area becomes a center of activity.

Picnic assessment: It was an unusually beautiful February day so we decided to go for a picnic. We sat on one of the many benches emblazoned with the St. Louis Fire Department logo while we snacked. We had forgotten to bring cups, which necessitated a visit to the nearby Smoothie King where a confused cashier sold me 3 empty cups. The picnic was pleasant and it was a beautiful late winter day. We chose this park because the nearby Soldier’s Memorial was about to be closed for renovations for a couple years. The building definitely needs some upkeep and the museum felt dated. I could tell the CIty had been deferring improvements to the facility for a long time. I’m excited to see what updates that the new guardians, the Missouri History Museum, have planned.

Pertinent research and facts: Memorial Plaza as a place is kind of confusing. It appears to encompass all the park and monument space between Tucker Blvd and 18th Street. Yet, several of the individual blocks of parks have official names including Poelker and Kaufman Parks. Other blocks have unofficial names such as Eternal Flame Park. Still other blocks have no individual name at all and have no particular memorials within them.

Full disclosure: There is no flame in Eternal Flame Park. It appears to have been officially renamed “American Legion Memorial Park” in 2003 by ordinance #65820. It is still commonly known as Eternal Flame Park, if it is known at all. 

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: The city website lists the park as 1.00 acres, while my measurement is about 1.25 acres. Pretty close but still 25% off the mark.

Park recommendations:  The streets in the area are outrageously wide. When you’re there in person it almost seems that there’s as much street as park. I recommend narrowing Chestnut, 13th, and Market to make way for more park space. Also, some more big trees lining the streets would be great. The unshaded sidewalks can be pretty killer in the summer heat.

Nappability: High nappability, especially for the many homeless people who were literally napping in the park.

Nearby features: City Hall, downtown, Scottrade Center, SLU Law School, Peabody Opera House, Central Library, Smoothie King, jury duty, etc

Fellow Park People: There was a good mix of tourists and homeless people.

Access:  Metrolink: Civic Center or 8th & Pine. Metrobus: so many of the downtown buses passes near here.

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Carondelet Lions Park: Picnic #56

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

Park assessment: For some reason, Patch has the best little parks. This park along with South St. Louis Square and Fanetti Plaza form a golden triangle of top notch neighborhood parks only a few blocks from each other. Carondelet Lions is bound by Michigan Ave, Minnesota Ave, Davis St, and Poepping St in deep south city. It’s a pleasant park with a couple play areas including the only motorcycle playground we’ve seen so far. Mostly the park appears to be for playing or walking. The circular walking path gives the park a very distinctive look on satellite maps.

The adjacent former Coca Cola plant has seen a reawakening recently with the building being redeveloped into lofts and the Perennial brewery, among other things. In addition to the Coke plant, the park is surrounded by houses, the beautiful Grace Hill Carondelet School (built 1871), and an industrial area adjacent to the Union Pacific rail tracks.

Picnic assessment: Kudos to this park for not forcing us to sit on the ground! This park has an actual picnic table under the pavilion at Michigan and Davis Street. That is certainly an appreciated amenity for all weather picnickers like ourselves.

Pertinent research and facts: According to the city website:

“This tract of land was originally owned by Bryan Mullanphy who, in his will, bequeathed this property to the City of Saint Louis. Its use as a Park was recognized by the Lions Club of Carondelet and the possibilities of suitable development prompted action by the Club officers and members which resulted in the general improvement of the premises.”

I could not find much info on the Carondelet Lions Club, and the St. Louis region Lions Club website has struck the Carondelet Lions from their club list. I hope is well with the Lions. 

Links to other reviews and descriptions:

It appears that repairs have been made since Play St. Louis reviewed the park and complained about the play surface.  

STL City Talk,  City Website  

Park recommendations:  Remove the 3’ chain link fence. What purpose does it serve? I would consider renaming the park since there are already more prominent parks by the name Carondelet and Lyons. The name seems needlessly confusing.

Nappability: In the right weather I would nap here.

Nearby features:  Perennial brewery and tap room, S. Broadway strip, Ivory Ave strip, Ivory Theatre, the Skatium, River Des Peres Park greenway.

Fellow Park People: There were a few kids playing and a few adults wiling away a Sunday afternoon.

Access:  This park is pretty close to the Catalan Loop bus station and is within a few blocks of the #8, #40, #73 #90

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Photos of Gravois Park, Picnic #62

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Photos of Dickman Park, Picnic #61

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Photos of McDonald Park, Picnic #60

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Turner Park: Picnic #55

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Who was there: Liz, Claire, Nick

What was consumed: Leftover halloween candy

Park assessment: Turner Park is poised to be an integral part of the Vandeventer neighborhood as new residential and commercial developments have recently happened to the north and east sides of the park along CD Banks and Sarah Street. The park is mixed in terms of upkeep and maintenance to the playing fields and fences, but nonetheless it is clearly used by the residents who were enjoying the outdoors on a unusually beautiful November day. With a little extra attention from the City, Alderperson, and neighbors this park could be a real peach.

Picnic assessment: We relaxed in the sun on our blanket. It was very pleasant. No one bothered us at all, but one guy walking by introduced himself and promised to help us if anyone hassled us. I’m not sure what goes on there that he felt he needed to protect us, but on this particular Sunday afternoon everyone was very calm in Turner Park.

Pertinent research and facts: This park is named after a fascinating man named James Milton Turner. He was born a slave in St. Louis County and later became a community leader and politician. Eventually Ulysses S. Grant appointed Turner Ambassador to Liberia.In addition to this park tThere was a school named after him in the historically African American suburb Meacham Park, later annexed by Kirkwood.

Links to other reviews and descriptions: STL City Talk, City Website  

Discrepancies with the city’s info: It is called Turner Playground on the city site but the sign at the park calls it Turner Park.

Park recommendations:  A few ideas: Tear down the fence. Maintain the ball field and volleyball court if the neighborhood wants them. If not, turn it into something people want to use. Plant some more trees, maybe.

Nappability: Not so nappable

Nearby features: It’s very close to Grand Center and SLU.

Fellow Park People: There were kids on the playground and folks hanging out at the pavilion.

Access:  Metrobus #42 along Sarah St, #97 along Delmar, #94 along Page

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Photos of Memorial Plaza