First, let me apologize to the residents of W. Washington Street for sharing, but once you figure out how to get here, this might just become your new favorite park.
Veterans Memorial Park
Vibe: Tucked just off of W. Washington, accessible only by a circling mess of one-way streets and alleyways (I got so frustrated I drove the wrong down one just to access) lies the cutest little park in West Chester.
Red benches pop off the green of the grass and the orange rocks of a newly installed rain garden. The playground equipment is new and while some is duplicative of other parks, some can’t be found elsewhere in the borough. Like the elusive teeter-totter and some spinning thing the boys spun themselves dizzy on for a good ten minutes.
The park is small in size. I couldn’t find the official figures, but just eyeballing it, I’d guess it might be the smallest in town. Framed in by the backends of the surrounding row-homes and secluded from traffic (probably thanks to all those one-ways), it just kind of appears out of nowhere. Kind of how I would imagine a secret park would do.
History: According to the West-Chester website, Veterans Memorial Park opened in the summer of 1948 and was named in honor of returning World War II servicemen.
Key features: The park features a covered picnic area, open field, several benches and updated playground equipment including a seesaw, climbing apparatus and swings.
Events: I don’t know of any events held at this park.
Location: The park is located behind the homes on New and Washington streets. If you are walking (advised), you can enter the park on either W. Washington Street (via Viet Alley) or N. New Street (via Pine Alley). If you are driving you must access from New Street, as Viet Alley is a one-way. Just note New is also a one-way street so if you’re coming from the southside of town, you’ll want to go up to W. Biddle Street and then come back down New. Once you get there, however, there are several parking spaces reserved for the park.
Keep in touch: Have an idea for Veterans Memorial Park or any of the West Chester parks? Check out this post on how to get involved.
Not the right park for you? Explore another.
Plus, West Chester has a new walking tour and five local runs you have to try at least once.