My daughter, born in 1986 and my son, born in 1991 spent much of their free time in the park, in the "bad old days". They seem well begun. Katie is a rising Senior at PENN. Michael is a rising junior at West Catholic. Much is in perception. In 1986 there seemed to be fewer 'white' toddlers. But the toddlers we met weren't crack heads, and the parents who cared enough to take their kids to the park didn't seem particularly maladjusted. If I think back 10 years, the Youth Soccer Program were already in full Saturday swing, and many of my friends had toddlers using the park.
I've always considered it a socializing gift of the 'hood that my kids had to learn early to respect and embrace class, income and social differences. I don't want us to become a more homogenized extension of the PENN brand. I believe you (HB) feel the same way. Maybe your friend was new to mothering or new to the neighborhood, and the way she is and the way we are is just more comfortable for her now. I can't speak for her perceptions. It may be that clean ups improve perception by eliminating cumulative deposits of evidence. For me, the biggest changes to Clark Park have been in the maintenance. I am delighted that trash is removed more frequently. I am grateful to all who've helped with these improvements, from the youngest volunteers through to the major institutions and including UCD. Best! Liz On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:14:27 -0400 "Hilary Bonta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > That's funny, Ross, because a friend of mine was just telling me the > > complete opposite. > > She's raising her kid here as well. She babysat for me about a > month ago > and after taking my son to the tot lot was just amazed by the > difference > between now and 10 years ago. She spoke at length about the great > community > of other families and caregivers here now. When her son was little, > she > felt isolated and lonely as a stay-at-home Mom. She hated taking > her son to > the turtle lot, where he eventually fell on the stone wall and had > to get > stitches, because she was alone for long stretches and there weren't > many > kids around for him to play with. > > She said she might have had more kids if she were raising them in > the > current community. > > Hilary Bonta > > > >Funny. Maybe my memory is giving out, but I'm almost positive that > my son, > >born in 1987, spent a good portion of his tender years in that > dangerous > >drug-infested space, and as I recall, really enjoyed it. Not the > drugs, but > >the old low-rent playground in the north park, which, while > certainly not > >as > >fancy as the new playgrounds they've got in the south park these > days, > >provided lots of fun for a wee toddler. There was a low wall which > he > >enjoyed learning to walk on, an old fashioned slide, a couple of > crude > >dinosaurs, and the turtle. I spent about a year with him as a > stay-at-home > >dad, and remember meeting lots of other (friendly) parents and > their > >toddlers in Clark Park. Don't remember running into any whores, but > maybe I > >was just too naive to recognize them. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
