This is part two of our tour of Lansing’s 114 city parks. Before we voted on a parks and recreation millage renewal, we wanted to see what our city’s parks looked like.
We’ve been impressed by their number, size, neighborhood locations and play equipment. At the same time, we noticed that most parks and playgrounds had very few people using them if any.
This is the latest batch of videos with each having a short narration describing the park. More to come, including information about the millage ballot question.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d like to first say that I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog…I’m new to the Lansing area (lived here almost one year) and it gives me some insight as to what’s happening in the area. It’s great, also, that you’re doing these segments on the city parks. Most city’s have a park or two, but having 114 parks is a luxury that all of Lansing’s citizens should take advantage of! I would have to slightly disagree with you on one comment–you mentioned that when you visit these parks you don’t see many people using them. I can’t speak for all of the parks, but ones that I visit regularly, such as Frances Park, I often see many people using. I use Frances Park as an example because that’s the one I visit most often. There are often people walking in the rose garden, parties rent out the pavilion, children playing on the equipment, local camps taking groups of children there, people walking/running/biking the 0.9 mile path for exercise, families grilling, and many make use of the river access that is there. Many like to fish, watch/feed the ducks, and also just sit and relax. I’ve also seen golfers practicing and I frequently see a group of people playing bocce ball. This is a beautiful park kept up wonderfully by the employees that maintain it!
When visiting I’ve noticed that the busiest times are during the lunch hour, and early evening into the evening when people are out of work. Maybe you’re visiting during the day when not many people are there? I wanted to point out the I feel that at least some of the parks are used regularly, however, I thank you for bringing city parks to the attention of Lansing’s residences. Our city parks are a privilege, one that we need to take full advantage of!
Thanks again for a great blog!
Marie-thanks for the great comment. And thanks for reading the blog. I appreciate your comment about Frances Park and about how the time of day can affect use of the facility. We’ve been to Frances Park on many different occasions and have seen its use. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend Fulton Park. There’s a scenic overlook at the Grand River. It would rival just about anything you would see in northern Michigan. Thanks again-Wes