Cornwallis Park, directly across from the Westin Hotel in the city’s south end, is home to another urban playground (map). Fencing around the perimeter is an important safety asset as traffic in the surrounding streets can be quite steady.
The equipment is targeted more at the pre-school crowd even though the Little Tikes information panel indicates that it’s designed for ages 5 to 12. There are a couple of exceptions. The corkscrew slide and monkey bars have what it takes to get an older bunch swinging but there is really nothing else to engage and challenge more physically capable and adventurous kids. As a sidebar, the railings on the corkscrew slide are in bad need of upkeep. Cleaning up the flaking paint and covering the rust will go a long way to improving the aesthetics (photos).
The modular Little Tikes piece for the smaller ones has a curving banana slide and a side-by-side, we can whoosh down together model. There is nothing cuter than seeing two little ones cosying themselves up at the top of the slides, moving toward the precipice and then holding hands as they push off giggling toward the bottom. Noah and Nellie do this on occasion and when they do it never fails to make me smile all over. There are four access points to climb up to the slide levels ranging from a set of steps with railings to approaches that require greater strength, dexterity, balance and perhaps a grown up’s helping hand.
There is a springy frog and whale here too ready to be bronco bucked, dipped to the ground forward and back. On occasion the riders lose their grip, are shaken off and drop onto the dusty, pebble infill. Just add a dash of clowns and it’s like an instant pre-school rodeo.
There is a peculiar part of this playground. In the southwest corner there is a raised plateau that is about four feet above the rest of the playing area. The hard packed earth plateau is accessed by a series of steps. There are two wooden structures made of railway ties on the plateau that could serve as benches, or maybe little table tops for the kids – I’m not really clear on their purpose. What is important to note is that there are no protective railings around the plateau perimeter. Younger children need to be accompanied or they could risk a tumble off the edge and a four foot drop. One of the pluses in this area is shade trees.
In the immediate area there are several restaurants and cafés and right across the street is an Atlantic Superstore if you need to pick up a few groceries. Other places of interest within a 10 minute, or less, walk are Pier 21, Discovery Centre and at some not too distant future point, the Halifax Farmers Market in its new location. In season you can take a stroll down to the boardwalk and see if any cruise liners are tied up at Pier 22.
There is metered parking on Hollis Street and free parking at the Superstore if you’re purchasing groceries. If you’re thinking about the bus, you can get the number 9 on Barrington, the 35 on Hollis, or in season FRED – Free Rides Everywhere Downtown.
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