Central Park
PARK REVIEW
I love Central Park because there is so much to do here. There are two different playgrounds. One is a toddler playground located next to St. Justin’s School and the other is for larger kids which is located next to Kiely Blvd. The walking trails are great, and large sections of it are shaded. There is a stream which runs through the park with a bridge that goes over it. The pavilion area is great. Overhanging trees cover all of the picnic tables, and there is a large open grassy area to play in. Right past the pavilion is a duck pond full of birds that my toddler loves to watch and chase. There is a peninsula that juts out into the water that you can walk onto. Right beyond the duck pond, you can walk through a field to the Santa Clara Library. The back door of the library leads right into the children’s area. On a hot day, it’s nice to go inside and take a break from the heat.
PARK HOURS – ½ hour after sunset
ADDRESS -- 909 Kiely Blvd., Santa Clara
PLAYGROUND RATING
(5 out of 5 stars)
Reviewed:
May 2008
TODDLER PLAYGROUND
The toddler playground is located next to St. Justin’s school. It has a lot of playground equipment for the little ones. The ground surface is rubberized and most of the toys are plastic. There is a sand box section and a water toy, so be prepared to clean up your little one afterwards as they can get quite messy. The equipment with the slide is shaped like a ship, so your toddler can enjoy some pretend play. The ship has a periscope and a steering wheel.
Playground Equipment
2 Baby Swings
2 Big Swings
Tunnel
Gears to turn
Chimes
Tiny covered picnic table for the little kids
2 Straight Slides side by side
1 Curved Slide
Rocking toys in the shape of an elephant, turtle, and a dolphin
Playground Construction
Plastic Playground Equipment
Equipment located on rubberized surface
Shade Level
Bring the sunscreen
Lots of trees around the park, but the playgrounds do not have a lot of coverage
Seating
There are 2 small benches for parents within the playground. There is also a wall that runs along the edges that you can sit on. There is a park bench across the path from the playground as well.
Central Park Toddler Playground
Ship Equipment
Sand Structure
BIG KIDS PLAYGROUND
This playground is located close to the recreation center, alongside Kiely Blvd. It can be noisy since it is located next to the road. Here, you will find older playground equipment. The structure is mostly made of wood, and there are large concrete blocks for the kids to climb inside and on top. There are really steep metal stairs that lead up the structure, and there is an extremely steep metal slide for kids to go down. This playground is definitely designed for the older kids as there is a lot of climbing, and it could be dangerous for the little ones. The slide is not only steep, but a small child could also fall off of one side. There are some baby swings for the little ones. This playground is entirely on sand.
Playground Equipment
1 Baby Swings
2 Big Swings
Concrete Tunnels
Concrete Blocks
Slide
Primarily a structure for climbing
Sand Box
Playground Construction
Wooden Structure with concrete tubes
Equipment located on sand
Shade Level
There are trees around this playground which provide a fair amount of shade. It is not completely covered though.
Seating
There are 2 park benches located under some trees.
Central Park Big Kids Equipment
Swings
Concrete Tunnels
Climbing Structures
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PICNIC AREA
There are many picnic tables in this park. My favorite area to picnic is in the pavilion. The tables are all covered with beautiful landscaped trees that hang overhead, providing full shade coverage. The center is an open field for the kids to play. The pavilion is located in the center of the park, away from the road, so it is fairly quiet here. You can also picnic in the Arbor. There are a bunch of tables in this area. It is nice, but it is a little more noisy because of the traffic on Kiely.
WALKING PATHS
There are a lot of places to walk around this park. You will get your exercise here. Plus, there is exercising equipment located along the paths.
MAINTENANCE
This park is well maintained.
RESTROOMS
There are restrooms located next to the Arbor Center and the Pavilion. They are fairly clean bathrooms.
WATER FOUNTAINS
The water fountains are located next to the Pavilion.
PARKING
If you want to park close to the toddler park, then park in the lot next to St. Justin’s school along Kiely. You can also park at the recreation center which is closer to the big kids park.
PARK FEATURES
Amphitheater, basketball courts, the Veterans Memorial, and a 30,000 square foot Community Recreation Center, George F. Haines International Swim Center, Bob Fatjo Sports Center which includes the Tony Sanchez Field, lighted softball field, the Santa Clara Tennis Center with 8 lighted tennis courts and practice wall, a lawn bowling green, exercise course, and the Central Park Library.