Woodminster Amphitheater Park
Arthur here! Shannon Gillespie and I set out once again to scout the local play grounds for athletes. Our first stop was no farther than five blocks away at Woodminster Amphitheater Park. This park has a very fresh and "mountainy" feel to it. This park is often packed with young toddlers running and playing with one another, and their mothers scurrying not far behind. However if you're looking for a quality safe park to practice your skills, this one isn't for you.
With what little area the designers left for basketball courts and baseball field, you would think they could have at least left a net or some boundary lines. The one hoop that's here is embedded upon cracked and broken pavement with scattered rocks and sticks; not what you would call ideal. About little more than half court is where the baseball field begins, maybe they wanted to give you the least delay when switching between sports. Efficiency taken to an extreme.
Lastly, while the location of the park is convenient for all the local residents, its inconvenient for the passer byes. The Park is located adjacent to a busy street so if you were to shoot ball off the rim, miss a pass, miss a catch, or hit a foul ball, it is likely you would find your ball in the midst of traffic.
On the north side of the park, there is a beautiful fountain and series of waterfalls. It's a great place to take your kids or pets for a walk.
Mosswood Park
Shannon and Myself followed the Amphitheater by heading towards downtown Oakland to check out Mosswood Park. This was a typical urban set up, lots of open space for playing with family and friends. Three basketball courts and two tennis courts are right next to the field. I didn't feel particularly comfortable because the surrounding neighborhood wasn't the greatest. The two guys I talked to were very kind, they said that they placed bets on games there and it drew a crowd twice a month.
North Oakland Sports Recreation Park
We were happy to arrive at the North Oakland Sports Park. It was a cleaner park with an awesome view on all of the Bay Area. There is an entire baseball field and seperate soccer field. Not many will fit in the provided parking, however, it's a hidden park tucked away in the nook of the mountain.
We ran into team of warm welcoming guys playing soccer. They asked us if we wanted to play but we politely declined and asked for some of their time. We talked about Weplay and what it represents, how they organize their games and share media. Out of the group, the younger people were willing to try the website but the older said they would have to see the website first. We grabbed some good action shots and headed home.
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A & S
