Washington Park

a nice lady helped me find rocks for my project here. Thanks lady.

The baseball diamond will be fully renovated by ²⁄₁₄.

Washington Park has something for everyone — two kids’ play structures, swings with some good tree shade (lots of mature trees at this park), a covered picnic area near the play structures, a small baseball field, more covered eating areas in the lower half of the park, a basketball court, a tennis court, two handball courts, grass areas, a stone bridge, a handicap-​accessible ramp to go from the upper half of the park to the lower half and vice versa, exercise equipment that uses your own body weight, and a restroom.
The play structures are not as challenging as some other area parks; and the difference between the age-​appropriateness of the design of the two structures is not as clear as some other parks (like Vieja on Orange Grove Blvd).
The play structure steps could use some white paint on the edges of the steps to help you see them. There’s one large diagonal step that I almost miss quite often when I’m on the structure with my youngest. They could also use some shades above them. But this park has a lot going for it.
Because the park is large I would not recommend being here by yourself too late in the evening. You can find yourself far from the street, although the park is lit after dark. During the day you might meet a homeless person or two, and you will meet lots of other families and individuals. Everyone I’ve met here has been nice. I prefer this park over Victory Park, even though the play structures are bigger at Victory. My young kids seem to have more fun here. They can jump, climb, and swing, plus explore, kick or throw a ball and more. And it’s not quite as busy as Victory.

I found this park while jogging, and just like the poster below, «my favorite thing about this park is that I found it completely by accident.»
I found this park while jogging/​walking, and I now have a semi-​permanent route! It’s exactly one mile away from my house, so I speed walk to the park and run back. The best thing about this park is that I can sit on the swings for as long as I like, and no one would wanna take the swing away from me. I enjoy the freedom I feel while swinging by myself, with the wind blowing ever so softly. I’ve never felt so free in a park :) There were four swings and not many people, so I felt as if I owned the world! I never even notice that less than 500 feet away, cars are driving at 40 miles/​hr & the people in them are hurrying on with their lives. Beautiful beautiful park.
Please don’t come here though — I like it quiet.

Havent been here in a while, Liking the new look

This review only covers the basketball court at Washington Park.
During the daylight savings (Winter) months, this park is the première pickup basketball location in North Pasadena. Mondays through Wednesdays from about 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm are prime hours for getting in a game or three. Like so many outdoor courts, Washington Park’s court is sloped, so full court games are not conducted on an even playing field. One backboard has a breakaway rim, while the other has a dreaded «double rim.» Nothing in life is perfect, so I still play here from time to time– it’s close to my house– and I know many of the other ballers. Sometimes I even win! Remember to bring your own hydration, as the bubbler here is sketchy.

My favorite thing about this park is that I found it completely by accident.
I like to take evening walks, and I vary my route each time. I love walking at dusk and admiring the beautiful houses, seeing the endless rosebushes that Pasadena residents adore, and hearing the birds sing their final songs before twilight.
One evening, I found myself at the corner of Claremont and El Molino, and as I was deciding which way to walk, I saw a vast swath of green to my left, which I happily realized was a park. That was the first evening of many that I spent walking across the little trail that leads from the west end of the park, winding under eucalyptus trees, and ending up at the swingset.
I always sit in the same swing — the far right one — and I watch the trees darken against the sky I fly through the air like a girl on a trapeze. The first time I did this, I hadn’t been on a swing in a really long time. I completely forgot how addictive it is, and how your stomach lurches up, and laughter escapes your lips because of how thrilling it is to whip through the open air and simultaneously battle the irrational fear that you’ll launch off of the swing.
There are picnic tables, a baseball diamond, tennis courts, and I’m sure a lot of other things, but all I care about is that lovely, perfect, makes-​everything-​else-​seem-​trivial swingset.