Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Wildwood Park

 

Basics:

Date of visit: June 15th, 2024

Where can I find it? Off Bedford St 

Bathrooms? One portapotty

Parking? Plenty! There's more hidden off Francis Wyman Rd

When open? Daylight hours. 

Review:

Some parks cater to the very small. Some parks cater to a variety of ages. Wildwood is the only playground I have been to that caters largely to cardiac health of the parents. 

Adjoining the playground is a large round walking/running path for the parents to circle while their children play, which is an excellent to get one's steps in, and heart rate elevated. If I permitted my father to ever walk away from me, he might very well enjoy it. 

He dared to venture ahead of me! 😠

There is also an outdoor enclosed gym space attached like a tumor to the actual playground, full of equipment that is intended for those who could legally consume alcohol while working out. Yet more systems for adults and parents to get that heart rate up.

You must be at least this tall to ride these rides.

But, the biggest and best system is available to all ages, and easily does the work of the other two combined. It's the playground megastructure!

I call it the heartstopper

With a platform height higher than my father's head (and he's not small), smaller children can easily stand at the precipice where there are no guardrails, easily spiking the heart rates of parents watching in terror as children toddle at the edge of disaster. 

It is tremendous fun!

Once one has thoroughly exercised their parents' hearts, or induced a cardiac arrest, many children prefer to migrate to hopping between the large boulders that separate the park from the street. 

A very orderly series of glacial deposits!

Sadly, as one can see briefly, yet another park is complicit the ring of rooster fighting apparently runs rampant through these parts. 

What horrors has that stick seen?

Beyond that, there are some questionable design decisions. Notably, the setup for flying a plane forces the pilot the block access to the slide, which runs the risk of a terrible crash if someone is racing to evacuate prematurely. Also, whomever designed it has clearly never been in a plane before. 

Who has ever flown a plane with a steering wheel?

There is also some sort of conflict between the insect populations, memorialized in a perpetual staring contest. Neither side ever yielding, ever daring to look away. 

It's a real Capulet vs. Montague scenario

All in all, I salute the town of Burlington for working so hard to ensure the parents maintain a heart healthy lifestyle. For that, I give this park four defibrillators.

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents. 

Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Overlook Park

 

Basics:

Date of visit: August 31st, 2024

Where can I find it? Hidden behind some abandoned buildings

Bathrooms? LOL

Parking? Plenty, just lock your doors

When open? Never? Always? 

Review:

Overlook park. The playground that time forgot. If you are looking for a quiet place for existential considerations, look no further! Overlook is better thought of as museum piece. 

You are greeted with tall, unmowed grass for small children to hide within, across from several buildings that appear to be unoccupied, and adjacent a storage for old town equipment. Presumably, that equipment was used to maintain this park. 

There is a battle between the grass gang and the wood chip gang for control of this turf.

With only a single set of swings, one slide structure, and one set of monkey bars, it does not take terribly long to exhaust one's play options. That, coupled with its relative isolation, one can see why it has not received a great deal of attention to date. 

The swings have cobwebs strung between them, giving you an indication of this particular park's popularity

The metallic tube has a certain prison-like quality not often seen in other parks.

Still, the charm of the 1980's conception of a dystopian future made real is an engaging concept. Not so much for the facilities within the fence, but by what is all around it. 

The graffiti across the street, while kid friendly, adds to the gritty ambiance. 

You half expect some ancient robot that gained sentience to wander out of the woods and wants to make friends. 

My father tells me that the town plans to overhaul and renovate this park in the next year or so, but who knows what he actually knows. As reviewed, I give it four boom boxes.

At least, I think I do. I am still not entirely sure what these things even are!

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents.