MacArthur Park (San Antonio, Salado, Anton: apartment, rent, live)

[elnina]

Went to MacArthur Park today with the intend to have a little walk there. I never visited this place before, so I was anxious to see what is has to offer.
Man, talking about a BIG disappointment!
This was the saddest and most depressing park I ever visited, and I saw more than a few in my life.
There was no grass, no plants, no flowers, no landscape of any kind - forget about little ponds or bridges, or nicely landscaped ways or paths. Of course that didn't attracted any birds, squirrels, or butterflies. Just some big, Texas native trees, partially dry and dead, but not pruned or cared for. Piles of leaves on the ground; judging from the appearance, they were there since last year.
What I saw was a big paved parking lot, few pavillions for gatherings, a big playground occupied mostly by young adults, several picnic benches and tables, and BBQ pits big and small. And a restroom with a big American flag painted on it (!)
Everywhere gravel, or pavement. Filthy. Old bottles and cans, food wrappings on the ground, shopping bags hanging from the branches, beaten up trash barrels, run down, chipped of paint playground. Not a smallest spot with a grass or a single flower.
You could see that no one was taking care of it for a very long time. It looks like an abandoned place somewhere in a Third World. Not inviting at all, and I am sure I will never go there again.
What's going on there? Isn't the city of SA supposed to take care of it?
If they don't have a man power (not sure why, because other parks are pretty and clean), they should send some inmates or offenders that are sentenced to community service.
Anyone knows why is it in such a horrible condition, poorly planned and executed? This should be renamed to a picnic place with a playground. Calling it a "park" it's grossly misleading...

[Chaka]

The one and only time I was there was about 3 years ago (after confusing it with McAllister park and going to the wrong place for a birthday party), and it was awful then. Not sure why, just not a place I'd ever bother going, unfortunately. On the plus side, it's not far from the Salado Creek Greenway, which is just a path, but it's lovely!

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by elnina

Isn't the city of SA supposed to take care of it?

No. Bexar County has responsibility for MacArthur Park.

I think MacArthur Park may have been established back before the land was annexed by San Antonio, hence the Bexar County jurisdiction over the park.

[Torpedos]

You can always start some initiative to make it nice. I am sure you can raise money and get grants, volunteers, churches, something that can make it happen.
I been there several times and never really looked at it that way. I was raised in NYC, an apartment, no back yards, and the parks where I lived had crack vails, and syringes on the ground. So Mcallister is great in comparison.

[OzzyRules]

Originally Posted by elnina

This should be renamed to a picnic place with a playground. Calling it a "park" it's grossly misleading...

So your issue is really with the NAME, not the place? I always loved it when I was a kid.
And I would describe it as a picnic place with a playground. (aka. a "park")

Is there some special definition of the word "park" that you think makes this one misleading? It fits the description perfectly from my point of view. I can find about a hundred smaller official parks in the city that you would probably find horribly disappointing.

Would you rather they develop it into a strip mall or something? Sorry, but I'm a little bewildered by this thread.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Torpedos

You can always start some initiative to make it nice. I am sure you can raise money and get grants, volunteers, churches, something that can make it happen.
I been there several times and never really looked at it that way. I was raised in NYC, an apartment, no back yards, and the parks where I lived had crack vails, and syringes on the ground. So Mcallister is great in comparison.

McAllister or MacArthur?

[Torpedos]

Originally Posted by Chaka

McAllister or MacArthur?

mcallister is nice, macarthur is not as nice, but in comparison to where I lived, it is a great park. I know people rent pavilions there, I wonder where the money goes.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

MacArthur was great when I was a kid! They had a big climbing structure made out of rebar with a platform at the top. If you were brave enough to climb up, then you could lay up there and look at everyone else trying to climb the thing. They also had a smaller climbing structure that looked like a big metal donut with windows, on top of two ladders. We used to spend hours in there pretending to be space aliens.

I don't remember there ever being much grass there. It was trees and gravel. But we weren't there to take a stroll down a path or admire the flowers, just to get as much playing in as possible before Mom got tired of talking to her friends and decided it was time to go home.

[OzzyRules]

They probably clean up the park before an event if someone rents a pavilion. Or, if no, that might be a good idea.

[Gilah G.]

I guess not enough have complained.
We had a family reunion therea few years ago.
We have a pic of our families with a banner right in front of a
HUGE DEEP Pot hole and sparse trees.

Maybe complain to a news station, and they can feature it, get some notice going on.