at the park

Today, in the afternoon, we went to the park. It was more of a playground really, at the Clarendon Park Community Center. It was Jarl's choice, and a grand choice indeed. Now, the community served by the Center is not one of the most affluent ones in Chicago, but the place felt genuine, friendly, bubbly and comfortable. Georgie loved the playground. There were two other papas with a little girl in the play area and, refreshingly, our light complexions were in the minority. It felt like being in Angola, and we loved it!

Georgie made friends "just like that"! We are proud to have such a sociable daughter, although she says she still feels shy to speak in English. She tried to play double-scotch, a jumping rope game for real pros. At first, the other girls didn't want to let her do it, but I spoke to them and they changed their mind. But Georgie needs a lot of practicing!

Georgie made a big impression with her scooter, double-wheeled in the front, hum, hum! A few kids asked if they could try it; they had never seen one like that. The other two papas also praised the scooter and wanted to know where to buy one too (it gives little children more stability). But it was a present from aunt Becky, Georgie said, so we really didn't know where to find another.

Below you will find a description of the Center that I got from the Internet. It's a place with history and it's worth sharing. Chicago is full of these little gems.

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"Completed in 1916, the Clarendon Park Community Center was considered to be the largest and most practical bathing beach in the country. Today, Clarendon Park Community Center features a gymnasium, boxing ring, fitness center and meeting rooms. Programming options include after school sports, aerobics, preschool activities and swimming at nearby Uplift School.

Clarendon Community Center takes its name from the adjoining avenue, honoring English statesman Edward Hyde (1609-1674), first Earl of Clarendon. Clarendon originated as a municipal beach. During the 19th century, Lake Michigan was rarely used for swimming because the heavily polluted Chicago River flowed into it. The new Sanitary Canal corrected the problem in 1900, and the Health Department began creating municipal beaches to provide the city's growing population with access to swimming as well as showers and changing facilities. In 1905, the city's Special Park Commission took over management of municipal beaches. Several years later, the commission began planning a state-of-the-art facility, visiting well-known municipal beaches throughout the nation such as Belle Isle Beach, Detroit; the New York City Beach at Coney Island; and the Atlantic City Bath Houses. In 1916, the city opened the Clarendon Municipal Beach, featuring an impressive brick building with two stately towers, separate open-air locker areas for men and women, and two smaller buildings housing a laundry and a children's playroom. Accommodating more than 9,000 swimmers and a promenade for thousands of spectators, the facility provided bathing suits, towels, and lockers for the charge of ten cents per adult.

The beach remained popular until the late 1930s, when the Chicago Park District expanded Lincoln Park north to Foster Avenue, thereby eliminating Clarendon's lake frontage. At that time, the city converted the facility into a community center, adding gymnasiums, club rooms, a playground, and an athletic field. The Chicago Park District assumed ownership of the Clarendon Community Center in 1959. A major renovation project in 1972 resulted in the removal of the building's most distinguishing features such as its tile roof and towers. In recent years, the park district has made the building accessible to people with disabilities, and upgraded the ball fields and playground."

(L)