New Year - more blogging!

I have been neglecting this blog for quite some time, to say I have been busy is no exaggeration! My family and I love living here in New Westminster and now find our way around the city quite well. We have enjoyed a lot of fun events in the city. We just took our tree to be chipped at the Canada Games Pool, the New Westminster Fire Fighters host the event annually. We bought that tree at the Shop Sapperton event again this year. We were able to use our wagon to collect and dispose of the tree. Living in New Westminster car free is challenging sometimes. We have learned the bus and sky-train schedules, and have found walking in New West is great!

As a New Years resolution I will try and blog more often! I plan on continuing my "exposes" on the parks of New Westminster. I would like to seek out more art in the city this year too. When I lived in Vancouver I noticed a lot of art galleries, both independent ones and the beautiful VAG. Public art, large installations or sculptures are inspiring. I think they need to be in every city and add so much to public space! I would like to see what I find when I look for more art this year. I hear some exciting things are in the works!

This post made me think of the mosaic in Hume Park in front of the playground. This park is a beautiful retreat. I saw a double rainbow here the day after we moved in. I love it!

Moody Park

This is one old park!

This is one of the largest parks in New Westminster. It has many amazing old trees, paths for walking and bike riding, picnic tables, a spray park, an ice rink arena
and a beautiful outdoor pool that was build just last year! (2009)

The park is located on 6th avenue and 8th street, in the heart of uptown New Westminster. It is steps from the library, grocery stores, restaurants, and shops of all sorts.

There are huge tires to climb on, like in many New West Parks. Swings, playgrounds for younger and older kids, and a public wash-room. (still under construction July 10)

Moody Park will soon be home to a unique facility, a new Youth Centre is being added to an existing seniors centre and thanks to the diligence of many New Westminster residents, it is also the winners of the Kraft Celebration grant of $25000 for the centre!
Kraft is also hosting a party here this summer to celebrate!

Moody Park is also home to Century House a place for seniors to connect and socialise.

This park truly is a treasure in the heart of the city!
Directions to Moody Park

I would also like to mention that this park's playground surface is made of small rocks! This is my personal favourite thing for a park to have. The kids can still bring a bucket and shovel sit and play in it, you won't get splinters like with wood chips, it's not slippery like sand and not used as a cat litter box. Although many modern parks have rubberised surfaces (at least this is a recycled option) I'd say stones are natural and the superior playground surface!

Summer Fest 2010!

E.T. in the park! Summer time is here!
This weekend at Grimston Park in New Westminster.

Richard McBride School Park

Richard McBride Elementary 331 RICHMOND ST, New Westminster

We have reviewed some of the public parks in New Westminster, although this park is actually a school park it is local, and great!

Located at the top of a hill, this school has two large playgrounds and three separate fenced in play areas for ball hockey, lacrosse, or soccer. There are no public wash rooms, but Columbia street is not far and a public wash room is in Sapperton Park just down the hill.

This school is quite old, built in 1929, the brick and architecture is beautiful. Along with the super modern playground behind the school, there is also a baseball diamond, grass fields and a large hill that is perfect for sledding down in the winter. There is a basket ball hoop, a lot of pavement areas, some of it covered, for playing hop scotch, kings corners, tether ball and even a perfect brick wall, without windows, for practising tennis or soccer kicks.

There are a few large old trees, some picnic tables, and if you are dexterous a view from the very highest point, beside the stump of an old apple tree has to be seen to be appreciated.

This park is great for older kids, the new modern playground has lots of hang out spaces, and many devices that the kids can twirl around on until very dizzy. Swings and slides, a climbing wall, everything to keep the kids busy and happy.

Directions to Richard McBride School

Hume Park

Hume Park is one of the best parks for the whole family! Located on East Columbia just north of Braid this park features so many great things I have to be careful not to miss any of them.

This park is located below the busy street where no traffic runs at all! During the warm weather it boasts an outdoor swimming pool, that also has ping pong tables and many lawn chairs for stretching out and relaxing.

It also has a water spray park if the pool is too crowded or you just want to splash.

There is a little snack shop for sweet treats

Hume park features a soccer field and two baseball diamonds, and a paved roller hockey court. Four tennis courts, an off leash dog park, and no less then 14 picnic tables spread out among beautiful trees. A playground for little ones as well as some great adventure playgrounds for older kids.

There is also an entrance to walking trails and a ravine to explore. There are some historical placards and a totem pole. There are wash room facilities and a small school also shares this beautiful park.

This park is a true treasure in Sapperton. The first week we moved here we saw a double rainbow at this park!

Sapperton is home of many double rainbows!

Hume Park

Sapperton Park

We love to go to local parks so will be reviewing parks in New Westminster. Our family has two children, ages 5 and 12. When we go to the park we look for a number of things that will make it a good park. So it is fitting that the first park we review is our local park:

Sapperton Park

This park has it all. It is easily accessible by transit. It has a large playing field for soccer or any running that needs to be done. It has a baseball diamond with dugouts, bleachers and a wash-room open all year ! There are large trees for admiring and providing shade on hot and sunny days, picnic tables, two playgrounds to suit all ages and swings for babies and older kids. Kids can enjoy teeter-todders, slides, lots of thing to climb on, tires, structures and even a spray park that is open in good weather.

As it is summer now (June 2010 ) the wild flowers are all in bloom on the Columbia side of the park. It is a pink paradise today.

Location
Columbia Street & Sherbrooke Street
Google Maps - Directions to Sapperton Park