Monroe City Park
Monroe Park can be found at the 800 block of West Broadway and Monroe Street in Eugene. It’s a park that lays smack dab in the middle of one of Eugene’s older neighborhoods. This park, surrounded by tidy and sometimes funky (in a good sort of way) 90 year-old-homes is lovely. As I stand here, I get the sense that if this park’s old trees could talk, I might be able to hear stories of previous days, where this neighborhood was a splendid place to live where community was important, much like it is today.
These homes, with shake siding and white picket fences will be interesting to check out as you stroll around the paths. There is one path that skirts the whole edge of the park. It would make a great walking or jogging course, or maybe it would be the perfect place to meander and have a focused conversation with a good friend. Either way, you are surrounded by the sights of the neighborhood and ‘college-town’ sounds. Monroe Park, like all the other city parks, is open from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm and of course it has leash laws and signs asking you to clean up behind your pooch: for bags ( hint: look in the trash) there’s Master Free, for Rubber Gloves, there’s Master Card, and for your pooch there’s love…PRICELESS.
As you get situated in the park, you will find there really is quite a bit to do in this little park. When you enter from North side you will see a concrete step up to what looks to be the perfect setting for a small stage for doing music or a puppet show? Next to the little concrete platform there’s a wading pool for the kids, but as of the date of this writing, the city hasn’t filled the pool yet, but when they do, the little ones will love it.
As you walk further east into Monroe Park you will find yourself dwarfed by the big Oak trees that offer sympathetic shade to the kids playing on the merry go round, jungle gym, play in the sand box. For the big kids there is a wide open grassy field for Frisbee or a basket ball court that will let the guys and gals to pick up a great game of basketball. One of the neatest features of the park is the rubber composite material used around the climbing structures and the kids play equipment. While the ground looks like concrete, it’s really sponging recycled rubber that makes the ground’s surface soft and safe for falls.
With swings, rest rooms, park benches/tables and a metal and wood sculpture, this little park is a gem sitting right in the middle of town. It has everything you could want in a park. You will miss it if you blink when you are driving by, so why not set out to explore Monroe Park one sunny afternoon. It could become one of your favorite places to take the kids this summer for a little picnic. Enjoy!
Written by Alison Silveria for DiscoverEugene.com
Photos by Alison Silveria
