Historical February 1999 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Picture this. It’s another beautiful spring, fall or summer day, and the sky is that deep shade of azure blue that covers this area every once in a while.
The temperature is stuck somewhere between 65 and 75 degrees, and there is very little humidity. (Ok, ok, it’s January, the sky is ashy gray, the temperature may reach 30 and our streets and sidewalks are slick and punctuated with mounds of ice-covered gray snow.) The wonderful climate precludes any thought of staying inside, so my wife, our two year old son, and I grab our things, get into the car and drive to Lewis Park in University City or Demun Park in Clayton. Once were there, our son bolts for the jungle gym or swings, my wife and I perform our tag team (having watched hours of Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler, we’re experts at this), and we play for hours.
We meet many other parents who are there, and engage in conversation, not all of which pertains to our kids.
When we leave, all of us have met some new people or have recognized some of the regulars and enjoyed ourselves.
If we’re in Demun, we walk to Kaldi’s for coffee, and if we’re on Delmar, we go to Starbucks.
All in all, a thoroughly delightful way to spend a morning or early evening.
However, every time we’re there, my wife and I have the same conversation. We’re in the car heading back, and everybody is content, but there is a nagging feeling. One of us sighs and exclaims to the other, “why doesn’t Skinker-DeBaliviere have something like this?” Yes, we have the city’s largest park in walking distance, we have the Charing Cross Branch library, and we have the Loop and its shops and restaurants. Don’t get me wrong. all of these places are vital and are some of the major reasons that we love this location so much.
As wonderful as SkinkerDeBaliviere is though, it lacks a common playing area for children.
The kids play football, baseball and any other derivation of these sports in the street, and it’s great. Every time a car approaches, the game stops, and as soon as the car is gone, the play resumes.
The games are fun, they go on forever, and they help develop a culture of children in the most visible part of the neighborhood.
For years as a child, I longed for this kind of street life.
When I grew up outside of Louisville, KY, my parents aspired to the American dream of a big house, a lot of land (no pun intended), and plenty of privacy.
They bought a house in an area that was predominantly woods, and neighbors were out of sight and thus out of mind.
It was quiet, we had wildlife all over, including snakes in the kitchen, and we never lacked for a place to hide and read a book or play.
But I always envied my friends who lived in neighborhoods where kids played in the street.
There was always some game going on, and parents did not have to drive their children to their friend’s house. Once my wife and I moved into Skinker-DeBaliviere, I felt like this was the kind of place for which I had longed. Adults sit on their porches or steps while the kids are in the street; people know each other and their children; and the evening play is interrupted with parents yelling to kids to come in for dinner or because it is too late.
I loved the combination of “Leave it to Beaver” meets the city. Like so many other elements of life that become completely different when a baby arrives, our perspective on the neighborhood changed when we went from being a couple to being parents. Street games and playing in the back yard were nice, but after a while they failed to meet our needs.
We didn’t want a young child playing in the street, and although the backyard is fun, we pined for a place with more things to do and other children with whom our son could play. Eventually, we began to look for playgrounds and parks, and we commenced our ritual of packing the car and going to other areas.
On Sunday mornings at Demun Park, there is a regular group of parents and children that have created a sense of community.
With enough visits, we begin to recognize other parents and their children.
We know that they will be there and it becomes a social opportunity for all of us. Ostensibly, all of us go so our children can play. and we have fun even if other families are not there.
But the experience is much richer when we feel like we fit into a group.
A group of parents in the SkinkerDeBaliviere neighborhood have joined together to raise funds for a playground, and they should be commended and supported. Those of us who have children need a place we can walk to with our children, play for a while, run into our neighbors, chat while our kids play. and walk home. Those of us with older children or without any children benefit when new places strengthen the neighborhood and make it a more solid place. Even though there are playgrounds within a five-minute drive, the moment we enter our car and head down the street. no matter how close the playground may be, we have become visitors to someone else’s place.
This playground may be fantastic, but it is not ours.
In the process, our children learn that to have fun, one has to go somewhere else.
The neighborhood becomes the place where our kids reside, but not where they truly live. By building a playground in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood, we accomplish many goals.
We create a place in the neighborhood where our children can play on the spur of the moment, without a special effort or plan.
We can meet with other parents while chasing the kids or teaching them how to take turns on the slide.
We have the chance to make new friendships for ourselves as well as for our children.
In the process, we solidify the bonds among the people who live in the houses on the street. That three-story house becomes the place where our friends live on the way to the seesaw.
In the process, our children develop a set of memories attached to where they lived and played.
When we locate a playground in Skinker-DeBaliviere, we ensure that the neighborhood has a future by giving our children a past when they are older. Now, if we can only get the coffeehouse near the playground, we will be set.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February 1999.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1999_02.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
