Showing posts with label Leslie Park Pool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leslie Park Pool. Show all posts

Friday, January 15, 2010

Reimagine The Leslie Park Pool



Ok, we all may remember the The Accordion Pool Party, an outpouring of energy last summer meant to get people thinking about the neighborhood's small outdoor swimming pool.

Now a series of meetings will be held seeking more input and ideas. I think this is from a letter being sent around.

"A pool again?" she writes. "A skate park? A spray park? A community arts center? The planning team wants YOU to share your dreams for the park site, and have a meaningful discussion and move forward. Everyone is welcome! Bring a neighbor, your teenager or grandparent. We want to hear from as many residents as possible!"

We all have our preferences but honestly-- I think pool works best but this is a sweet and potentially useful, well located and interesting space that could be adapted for an outdoor amphitheater or a skate park or perhaps allow many uses. But once again the root problem emerges of a lack of a good transit system capable of bringing the wider community there and the general lack of density in the neighborhood itself (related problems). Lawrenceville has a much smaller population than it once had.

Notice the somewhat threatening use of the term "residents", which is discouraging. Would a little input from a Bloomfield, Stanton Heights or Garfield resident be that out of line? I may be reading too much into that.

Read more on City Walkabout.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Lawrenceville Accordion Pool Party@ Leslie Park Pool



One of the great things about Pittsburgh neighborhood's tenacious connection to the past is that can inspire some pretty innovative schemes.

Lawrenceville, the community that gave birth to Art All Night, roving free for all art show designed to highlight unused and abandoned spaces in the neighborhood, now is creatively trying to get bring back the Leslie Park community pool or at least get people to think about it.

"Deb Knox, one of the accordionists, a member of the Balkan Babes and the event manager, said the Accordion Pool Party -- open to the public for $5 a person -- is just a big event to get the neighborhood to start thinking about what it can make happen more permanently at Leslie pool, which has been closed for five years."

The pool party will include 18 accordion players, 30 costumed folk dancers, an African drum and dance group as well as a random array of other art projects.

Regardless of the ultimate fate of the pool, a get together like this has got bring many intangible positive results.


View Larger Map

Party runs from 3-7
Cost is $5
Location is off Butler @ around 46th Street, behind the Boys and Girls Club