Jerry Burrell Unity Park

This is a large park with many quality features for small children as well as adults.
A community organization raised $80,000 to purchase a new playground for the park. It was installed on May 22.
A nice little area for tykes. A safe mulch surface

Beautiful old tree provides some welcome shade
A play fountain, no operating hours were listed. Unknown functionality


The two basketball courts in this park are in good shape. This one even has some earthen bleachers on the north side.

Uncle Bob is watching your children.

Site of the new playground.

Unnecessary strip of tarmac, but decent mulch mat. It should be thicker.

This slider is missing a handle. This makes it inoperable for kids.
A nice little fenced off tyke area. No mulching, but no hard surfaces were observed.
Most apparatus in this area could use a fresh coat of paint.
The essential geodesic dome

Fresh paint please.
Two more City tennis courts with out nets.

City workers trying to make some sense of all the new parts.
Here is an example of the damage trees can do to tangible property. Although the tree that fell was not a City tree, it provides another reminder that tree health is important to maintain in highly trafficked areas.

This is the second basketball court, again it is in good shape.

It looks like water would pool up around this merry-go-round after rains. Some leveling and mulching would help.


A nice gazebo, but it is inaccessible from this side. It does not need to be locked.

Martin Luther King Elementary School

This playground is only accessible to students that go to this school, and only when they are programed to use it. The surface of the play area is layered with mulch and no hard surfaces were visible from beyond the fence.
The playground looks fairly new, and to be of a good design.

The basketball court is in fine shape, but it is off limits to the community.
Why do we create an uninviting atmosphere at our schools? Why are children not welcome on school grounds?
"NO TRESPASSING VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED"
I talked to a physical education teacher at this school about community access to the school playgrounds, and he was unaware of anytime when they opened the gates to the playgrounds to the community.
The Forbidden Playground
"NO TRESPASSING SCHENECTADY BOARD OF EDUCATION"


To increase academic achievement schools must be welcoming places were children and community members want to spend time. Schools and education must take a central role in children's lives, and not just for 7 hours a day (29% of a day) 180 days a year (49% of a year). When schools promise to prosecute those wanting to spend time on the grounds they are sending the wrong message about education.

These grounds need to be opened, kids and community must be welcome on school grounds, not prosecuted.

St. John the Evangelist

The surface is composed of small river rocks. It is spread thickly, so one leaves footprints. It would provide a cushion for falling kids.
This playground looks like it was built on site. It has a nice design, it is safe, and well maintained.

These two backboards are missing their rims.


St. John the Evangelist is a Catholic Church on the corner of Union Street and Nott Terrace. There is an elementary school on the grounds that charges less than $6,000 a year for tuition. The school occasionally offers free story times for children under 5 years of age. Signs on site indicate that people not associated with the church or the school are not welcome to use their playground.

Yates Village Courts

This is the only play area for kids on the grounds of Yates Village, a government housing project for people with low incomes. This backboard is missing a hoop.
This non-functional court on public property is segregated.

Some construction work is underway; no apparent plans for the kids.