I meant to blog about this a few weeks ago, but a comment today from one reader reminded me. It seems there's this lovely, historic playground in Philadelphia that has been a beloved outing spot for parents and kids for the last 104 years. Now, though, it's closed - because the owners don't have the $1 million needed to bring up it up to safety standards. Daily News reporter Ronnie Polaneczky's description of the playground is hilarious:
If you haven't been to Smith, you probably don't have children. But you don't need them to experience the thrill of wandering among playground equipment that reminds you so viscerally of your own childhood: that resilient world where, when you got hurt, you knew it was your own stupid fault and learned to be more careful next time.
Nary a piece of molded, litigation-free plastic dots Smith's six lush acres. Hardly a padded mat cushions jungle-gym dismounts.
Instead, you'll see sky-high metal slides, without oversize safety lips. Merry-go-rounds, with splintery seats, that spin fast enough to induce a good puke. Crazy-looking swings that sound like they've been creaking there forever - because they sort of have.
And a 12-foot-wide, wooden slide housed in a decrepit shed that screams, "Fire trap!"
My God, it's a fun place.
Polaneczky also noted that his daughter played more carefully on these swings and rides because she could tell that more care was required - unlike on today's personality-free plastic doodads.
Posted by kswygert at August 7, 2003 03:23 PM