Two things caught my eye as I approached this park -- a large grassy area with a medium-sized playground, not far from the St. Johns Bridge.
First, a metal merry-go-round....
... and second, a cement wading pool...
Kidney-shaped, even!
I can't remember the last time I saw one of these wading pools in a Portland park. As a kid, arriving at a park on a summer day and discovering that the wading pool had been filled was a huge treat (though I had usually neglected to bring a swimsuit or proper footwear.) There was one at Lents Park and one at Colonel Summers, I do remember. I believe a lot of these pools have since been filled in and/or replaced with splash pads over the years, so it was fun to see this.
I was also amused by this piece. A horizontal metal slide, with bars on top? There used to be something mildly similar at North Powellhurst School, but I've never seen one exactly like this.
The rest of the playground is holding up pretty well, though it's getting to that "almost dated" stage.
I've also never seen a twisty-bar slide with such a wide spiral as this one...
This park also features one set of swings (two regular, two toddler-sized) and a lonely pole that perhaps once proudly held a tetherball.
St. Johns Park is located at 8427 N Central Street, not far from the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland.
