Parking

I'll be blunt: this week's park needs some help. I was going to write about Ciafrani Park, a little park at 8th and Fitzwater, but then went for a walk through South Philly this past Saturday. I stumbled upon Mifflin Square, which I knew existed but never actually wandered through before. Located in South Philly between Wolf and Porter Streets and 5th and 6th, Mifflin Square does not, like other parks, let us know its name and upcoming events right up front. No sign introduces you to the park. Instead, what greets visitors to the park are several (and by several I mean many) mostly empty 40's. The amount of empty beer bottles is shocking: they are strewn every which way. The amount of broken glass is also quite amazing—the walkways are coated with it. The center of the park hosts a sprinkler fountain, presumably for kids to run through during the summer months... but I'm thinking no parent would want their sandaled kid skipping over shards of glass.

I did some research and it became clear that Mifflin Square (established in 1892 and named after another PA governor) is the park that apparently time and the city forgot (or at least tried to). In 1998, the Eagles Youth Partnership constructed what is called the "Eagles' Unity Playground" in an effort to turn the park into a "welcoming family space." It is a pretty cool playground system. I had some fun sliding down the slides that were functioning. However, on the day I passed through, there were no families in the park, someone had graffitied the f-word under one of the slides, the twisty slide was blocked off because someone had punched a hole through it, and as seen in the photo, the swings were chained up in a knot. According to an article in the South Philly Review in 2003, the swings were stolen within a month of the playground's completion. Aside from all the litter, the park is also known for gang and drug activity. The article also notes that it has come to the point where no one wants to put any money into the park because it seems such a waste. That article is over five years old, and it looks as though nothing has changed much in terms of fixing up or revitalizing the Square.

My initial thought was to arrange some sort of clean-up, to sweep up the glass and clear away the beer bottles. However, after doing some reading, I've learned that the problem is deeper seated than just some trash. I know there are a lot of parks in this city, and at this point, not nearly enough money to keep them all in tip-top shape, without some sort of action from the community. Yes, we can organize a trash pick up day (anyone interested in doing so, please e-mail me at the address below), but unless there is a deep and permanent attitude shift from the community in how it views use and abuse of public space, not terribly much will change.

Upcoming events in the parks:

Get your veggies: Farmer's Markets: Fitler Square (Saturdays, 9AM-2PM); Clark Park (Saturdays, 10AM-1PM), Rittenhouse Square (Saturdays 10AM-2PM)

Get Involved: Public Meeting on Wissahickon Trail Work Monday, 2/23, 6-8PM, 7500 Germantown Avenue; Dickinson Square Park Clean Up (Saturday, 9AM); And again, anyone who wants to help clean up Mifflin Square, e-mail me at the address below.

If you know of anything exciting happening in your local park in the near future, please e-mail amy@phillyist.com!

Image Credit: Flickr user Additional_Reference_Materials