Filbert Meadows Park

Filbert Meadows Park

Finding Filbert Meadows Park for the first time by bicycle became somewhat of a mission: I stopped a few times along what I thought was the correct route to call my brother, who works in front of a computer all day, and ask him to make sure he was reading the Google map correctly. Following his directions I turned north on Hyacinth Street from Irvington to find it ended abruptly at a thick and lush row of orchard trees. It was clear that foot traffic through the orchard was common by the wide and worn path linking the end of Hyacinth to the road on the other side, which I could see from where I stood, so I proceeded across.

The park, as it turned out, is just on the other side of this long and narrow stretch of orchard trees that runs east to west parallel to Irvington. Upon emerging from the thick manicured tree rows, the contrasting landscape was stunning: house after starkly new cookie cutter house lined road on the left and the park and its open space stretched out to my right. If it were not for the odd orchard backdrop, the neighborhood could fit in Anywhere, USA with its unoriginal and repetitive architecture, two-car garages and perfectly crisp lawns and sidewalks. Filbert Meadows Park consists mainly of an adorable playground with colorful tiles set in the sidewalks. A single basketball hoop stands at one side of a small, circular court and a tall grassy knoll adds character to the barren expanse of a shortly cut lawn. Shade is limited here as no older, native trees were left during the neighborhood’s development. Newly planted trees are still establishing themselves on the east side of the park grounds.

Filbert Meadows Park Mosaic

As I was getting ready to leave, a woman with a little girl unloaded from their vehicle and walked toward the playground. I asked her why she comes to Filbert Meadows, and she explained that it is close to her house, is rarely over-crowded and features a water spigot in the sandbox area. “I’ve been hearing rumor [the city] will not be reopening a lot of the public wading pools for the kids this year,” she said. “The water feature here for the kids to play in is a big plus during the summer.”

The easiest way to get to the park is from River Road west onto Lynbrook, then left (south) onto Hyacinth and left again onto Naismith. The park is on the right and is open from 6am to 11pm.

Article and photos by Lauren L. Zavrel