basketball

Kiwanis Park & Crabtree Creek Trail

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A few weeks ago we headed down to Lassiter Mill Park again to access the nearby greenway via Crabtree Creek Trail for a run. Little did we know that after a mile and half into our run, we would come to Kiwanis Park. It was a nice surprise and a good break from the run, as we weren’t anticipating either!

Following the greenway was a bit tricky in some places.  If starting near Lassiter Mill Park, you’ll  eventually come to Claremont Rd, where the greenway signs stop.  Take a left onto Claremont Rd and then cross Anderson Dr where Claremont Rd turns into Oxford Rd.  Stay on the sidewalks and you’ll shortly see the next portion of the greenway on your left, which will lead you straight to Kiwanis Park.  Despite the trickiness of the greenway, this has turned out to be one of the favorite running trails in Raleigh.  It is super FLAT and the bridges and scenery you pass make the running seem effortless at times.

The Kiwanis Park is located at 2525 Noble Rd just inside the beltline. It has a playground area with a jungle gym, but no swings. There are also several large open fields, mostly used for playing soccer. There is a sand volleyball court, baseball fields, and a basketball court. The nearby community center is not staffed and is available for rent.  The large pavilion has several picnic tables and restrooms.

Even though you can get to the park by car, why not make this a greenway/park/brunch adventure with the kids! 1) Run/walk 1.5 miles with the stroller on the greenway to the park, 2) let them burn up some energy on the playground while you rest from your run/walk, 3) then run/walk 1.5 miles back followed by 4) yummy brunch at Nofo at the Pig!

Thumbs up: flat portion of greenway, scenery along greenway, playground, open fields at park, recreational sports

Thumbs down: signage along parts of greenway, no swings on playground

Method Road Park

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This post originally appeared on southwestraleigh.com, where you can learn more about what a great place South West Raleigh is to live, work, and play.

Method Road Park is a busy park with several recreational and community activities going on, despite the small footprint you see from the road. Method Road Park is located at 514 Method Rd, just inside the beltline, near the intersection of Beryl Road and Method Road. There is a large community center building with indoor basketball courts and bleacher seating. The Method Pioneers Building is nearby and available for rent.  The center has information about programs for all ages. Here are a few to highlight:

  • Method Halloween Festival (Oct 28, 5-7pm, ages 6-11)
  • Free English classes for beginning students (Oct 27-Dec 8, Thursdays, 6:30-8pm)
  • Daily open gym times (call (919) 831-6066 for hours)
  • Haunted Mordecai Lantern Tour (Oct 29)
  • Foster Grandparent Program

If outdoor activities is what you’re looking for, this park has plenty to offer. There are lighted tennis courts, a basketball court with bleachers, baseball fields, a large open multi-purpose field with soccer goals, a large pavilion with picnic tables, and oodles of shady spots and benches for picnics. The old playground area near the front of the park is getting a major facelift. The new playground area will have several swings, a large jungle gym with slides, unique seating, and fun activity equipment.  The playground is currently being renovated and should be finished within the next few months.

This would be a great park to bring your mommy/baby/toddler groups for playtime followed by lunch or a great place to bring the older kids for open gym, flag football, or kickball.  Visit raleighnc.gov for more information about Method Road Park.

Thumbs up: picnic spots, basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, shady areas

Thumbs down: noisiness from I-440

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Roanoke Park Playground

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So, a few weeks ago when my mom came into town I wanted to do a picnic lunch in the park, but wanted to have food from a new (to us) place and explore a new park. After some quick online surfing we decided on take-out from Nofo at the Pig followed by a trip to Roanoke Park Playground. Both ideas turned out to be absolutely fabulous!

Roanoke Park Playground is located southeast of Five Points at 1500 Cherokee Dr.  It’s located in a quiet neighborhood in the median between W Aycock St, Cherokee Dr, and Greenwood St.  This was a part of the Five Points area I had never been to and quickly fell in love with the homes and the nearby shops.

On one side of the park is a large open field perfect for a pick-up game of flag football, kickball, or volleyball.  There are numerous shade trees along the perimeter, which gave us ample of shade for our picnic lunch.  There’s also a small pavilion with picnic table, but having a baby in the prime of her crawling meant we were having lunch in the grass!

After lunch, we followed the wooden path to the other side of the park that contains the playground area.  Along the way we passed a large wooden deck with built-in benches.  There are two swing sets complete with tot swings for the little ones.  The jungle gym has several slides and climbing areas atop a mulch base.  The sand box area has a few diggers and other play equipment.  We were also shocked to see numerous riding cars sitting in the toy corral area.  It was welcoming to know that neighborhood toys could sit in a park and go without being stolen.  After some more research on this park, I learned that the neighborhood partnered with the City a few months ago to fund some of the toys you see in the park.  At the far end of the park there’s also a full-size basketball court.

This park was so delightful that I packed a picnic lunch and visited it again the next day with my husband, baby, and dog!

Thumbs up: shadiness, peacefulness, swing sets, open fields, friendliness of neighbors

Thumbs down: nothing to report 🙂

Powell Drive Park

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This post originally appeared on southwestraleigh.com, where you can learn more about what a great place South West Raleigh is to live, work, and play.

Powell Drive Park is another example of a Raleigh park that offers more features than meets the eye.  Drive past Powell Drive Park and you might only see the features closest to the road, such as the unattractive neighborhood building, playground area, and tennis courts.  You may not know that if you explore the park further, you’ll find a small pond surrounded by shade trees great for picnics and photos, pavilions perfect for small family outings, and a large open field for group recreational activities.

Powell Drive Park is located at 740 Powell Drive in the southwest Raleigh area.  It is located in the triangular region between Western Blvd, I-440, and I-40.  For those in the nearby neighborhoods, there are sidewalks and stairs for accessing the park.

Close to the parking lot is a small open field, a neighborhood center used for programs or available for rent, two lighted tennis courts, and a playground area.  The neighborhood center is not staffed, but you can learn more about the facility at the City of Raleigh’s website.  The playground area has a large jungle gym with mulch base, swing set, sandbox area, benches, and water fountain.

Follow the paved path from the parking lot past the playground and you’ll first come to the lighted basketball court.  Immediately past the basketball court is where the small pond surrounded by shade trees is located.  Several benches are located along the perimeter of the pond, which you can access by a cleared trail covered in pine needles.  At opposite ends of the pond are small steel bridges, which add architectural interest to the area.  Sadly, on this particular day, I didn’t see any evidence of ducks or turtles near the pond.

Continue on the paved path to access the large, open field where the backstop and soccer goals are located.  The open field is surrounded by a dense forest to the north and west and four small pavilions (one has a charcoal grill) and a less dense forest to the east and south.

With the busy school schedule and college/pro football season upon us, take some time out and grab the kids and stomp around the playground, enjoy a yummy picnic with a loved one, or round up some friends for a game of flag football at Powell Drive Park.

Thumbs up: playground area, shady picnic spots, photo ops around pond, large open field, small pavilions

Thumbs down: unattractive community building

Isabella Cannon Park

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The new Isabella Cannon Park is officially open! I had the great pleasure of attending the grand opening on Monday night with about 100 other fellow neighbors, kids, city leaders, and Raleigh Parks & Rec staff. Mayor Meeker and Councilman Crowder along with others spoke about Isabella Cannon and congratulated everyone on a job well done with the project. Mayor Meeker noted that Isabella Cannon served as Raleigh’s mayor from 1977-1979 and passed away in 2002 at the age of 97. She was also the first woman to serve as a capital city mayor in the U.S. and was elected during a turning point in Raleigh.

Park Dedication
Grand opening program
Mayor Meeker addressing the community
Councilman Crowder congratulating those on the project
Project Manager giving thanks
UPHA president giving her thanks
The ribbon cutting ceremony!

Isabella Cannon Park is located at 2601 Kilgore Ave inside the beltline. Even though there is no parking lot, there is plenty of side-street parking. The main entrance on Kilgore Ave has a very wide path, making it an inviting place to come.  There are additional stairway entrances near the intersection of Everett Ave and Gardner St across from the Rose Garden.

The new sign on Kilgore Ave
Main entrance on Kilgore with entry wall ahead
Side-street parking is available
Bike rack near the main entrance
Near corner of Everett Ave and Gardner St
Stairway entrance on Gardner St

Heading up the main entrance path is a beautiful stone entry wall in front of an open field surrounded by a concrete walkway. If you follow the path to the right you’ll see the renovated basketball courts, updated landscaping, playground with swing set, jungle gym, and see saws. The playground has both a mulch base and a sandy area with several picnic tables and benches scattered throughout.

Basketball courts
Basketball courts beneath large shade trees
Playground with swing set, jungle gym, and sandy area
Another view of the playground area
University Park Homeowners Association metal bench

Beyond the playground is a new stairway to the unpaved and more densely wooded area that has a charcoal grill. Continue on and you’ll find the stairs leading up to the entrance at Everett Ave and Gardner St.

New stairways leading to the unpaved section of the park

If you’re back on the concrete walkway continuing around the open field you should notice the newly planted Knockout Roses behind the entry wall symbolizing Mrs. Cannon’s love for the Rose Garden.  Along the walkway there are several comfortable benches to rest on or enjoy the views of the open field (still closed off to allow the grass to grow).  Once the grass grows in, it will be a great place for a flag football game!  There is a also new pavilion with 4 picnic tables on the far side of the path.

View of pavilion from across the field
Picnic tables at the pavilion
Comfortable new benches

Continuing past the pavilion you’ll come to the most unique feature of the park: a small rock climbing area!  The base has some padding to soften any falls and there are rules posted for climbing the rock.  According to some of the speakers at the event this is the only park in Raleigh with a rock climbing area.  The pathway extends up Kilgore Ave to the intersection of Latta St where the park ends.  There are more benches in shady areas and new landscaping to enjoy.

Rock climbing area
Pathway along Kilgore Ave
Additional benches along the pathway

Being at the grand opening really gave me a sense of what a community is all about.  The renovations for this park were provided by the 2003 bond referendum and from hearing the speakers thank those involved it sounds like the entire project from soliciting the community’s ideas to developing the master design plan to executing the project achieved the goals that were set forth…bringing a community together!  I only wish I had gotten involved with the UPHA years ago.

Baby Ashley was all smiles when seeing the new park

Thumbs up: rock climbing area, sense of community, pathways, benches, playground, basketball courts, picnic area

Thumbs down: nothing to note

Glen Eden Pilot Park

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Glen Eden Pilot Park seems small and uninviting at first glance, but boy does it pack a punch! This park is located at 1500 Glen Eden Dr just outside the beltline. When I first pulled up I immediately noticed the empty parking lot and ugly stone building. I was carrying Ashley in her car seat due to lack of signs about trails so I figured I’d take a few pics with nothing to report and we’d head home. The main building is not staffed and was locked but can be rented by calling the Jaycee Comm Center at 831-6833. Next to the building I passed some stairs so we decided to walk down them. At the bottom I was pleasantly surprised to see a paved walkway and a gravel path that seemed like you could access it from Glen Eden Dr. My gut told me maybe there was more to this park than I initially thought, so I went back to the car, put Ashley in her stroller, headed on the narrow sidewalk and turned left out of the parking lot onto Glen Eden Dr. We found the secret wheeled-access path and met back up with the paved walkway.

Main park entrance
Front of the stone building
View of the empty parking lot
Another empty parking lot pic
Stairs next to the building leading down to the paved trail
Side view of stone building available for rent
Gravel path for wheeled access (tough for pushing the stroller)

As we continued we passed a small pond for fishing and then came upon this open space oasis! I felt like we had just entered the secret garden! There is a large pavilion with 5 picnic tables, large open fields, 2 basketball courts, and a playground area all adjacent to this 1/4 mile loop paved trail. There are benches and a water fountain near the basketball court. The playground has a swing set and 2 jungle gyms. The large open spaces would be great for picnics or flag football.

Small pond for fishing
Pavilion with picnic tables
Huge open fields
Basketball courts
Playground with jungle gyms and swingset

We walked past the basketball courts and found another entrance to the park with a small parking lot at Carlow St and Eden Croft Dr. This is a much more suitable entrance for visitors with strollers or in wheelchairs.

Smaller parking lot at alternate entrance (again empty)

From the trail we also came across a secret set of tennis courts. There are 4 courts and 1 court for single play against the backboard. The sign on the courts said to reserve the courts through Raleigh Tennis or use them on a first-come first-serve basis. There is also a separate entrance for the tennis courts although I couldn’t access the parking lot because of having the stroller.

Court with backboard
One of the four tennis courts

As we headed back on the trail I enjoyed how the birds were drowning out the noisy nearby I-440. We had the entire park to ourselves, but I couldn’t help but imagine how much more popular this park could be if only a few signs were posted in the parking lot advertising “spectacular basketball courts, playground, picnic tables, and tennis just a few 100 yards away!”.  Here’s a satellite view of the park from Google Maps of the entire area so you get a feel for what it looks like from overhead.

Thumbs up: peacefulness, open space, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground
Thumbs down: wheeled access from Glen Eden Dr entrance, lack of signage throughout park, lack of information at main building

Fred Fletcher Park

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From playing sports, walking, and having picnics to viewing the numerous gardens there is such a variety of activities at Fletcher Park. Fletcher Park is located at 802 Clay St inside the beltline. Parking is available along Washington St or in the nearby parking lot. We parked in the large parking lot and began our stroll along the paved walkway. The entire park is magnificently landscaped. Follow the walkway and you’ll come across stone walls protecting the gardens, perfectly edged lawns, and beautiful gardens filled with varieties of crape myrtles, gardenias, magnolias, hostas, butterfly bushes, and daylilies.

Enjoy a picnic lunch on a bench, on the lush green grass, or in the amphitheater-style seating in the grass. There are plenty of private areas to lay a blanket down and soak up some sun with a good book too!

Next, we came upon the Borden house, which was built circa 1900. It has been restored and is available to rent for weddings and other events.

We then walked through the grass next to the Borden building to get a better view of the baseball fields below.

Afterwards, we walked through the grass behind the Borden house and came upon another paved walkway that backs up to residential homes. We passed several labeled species of daylilies.

As we followed the narrow path around, we discovered the water gardens that were under construction in 2008. First we came upon the Forebay, which is the deepest pool of the water garden.

Information plaque about the Forebay
Plant life in the Forebay

We continued on and enjoyed the rest of the water garden and wetlands. There is a great wooden deck overlooking the wetlands, perfect for spotting wildlife and enjoying the views. Informational plaques located along the walkway and on the deck provide more details about the benefits the water gardens provide. It’s a great place for kids to experience; while there, we saw ducks, dragonflies, and butterflies!  Here’s more information about the City of Raleigh Water Garden and Wetlands Project.

Information plaque about the Water Garden
Demonstrating how the water garden improves water quality in Raleigh
Looking into the water garden
Views of the plant life
Plants thrive here!
Beautiful purple flowering plants love it here too!
One of the many ducks living in the water garden
Learn more about the different plants that inhabit the water garden
Baby Ashley enjoying the views from the deck
It was such a sunny day!

Across from the water gardens are the basketball courts and tennis courts. When Bill and I used to play tennis here it was always a very popular spot.

Across from the tennis courts you’ll see the art sculpture.  Further ahead, you’ll pass the shaded playground area along Washington St. To the left there is also a large pavilion with picnic tables and a charcoal grill. If you continue on the walkway you’ll find your way back to parking lot. This is also a great place to visit on Sunday evenings in the summer for their free concert series! Bring a blanket and some snacks and have a fantastic evening!



Thumbs up: condition of basketball and tennis courts, scenic views, wetlands, water gardens, picnic spots, landscaping, free concerts
Thumbs down: lack of signage