The word diverse does not even begin to describe this playground, which seems to exist primarily to overstimulate an already hyperactive generation of kids and adults for whom a basic swingset/jungle gym combo simply does not suffice. Good old Magnet contains several varieties of swing, multiple iterations of jungle gym, and a plethora of other shiny, spinny things such as the contraption pictured below.
I am admiring its sturdy and symmetrical properties
There is also a tire swing, a flying fox, and a climbing wall that does a fair job of disguising itself as a large boulder. I have witnessed this playground on a sunny weekend and unfortunately it tends to be packed with small grubblers and their handlers. There is, however, a bonus ice-cream truck. We visited just as darkness was falling, which prompted the appearance of quite a different species of human.
As we were spinning on the tire swing, a shortish man with headphones and a rucksack began loitering nearby, watching us in an awkward and (in my opinion) socially unacceptable manner. Surely, I thought, he would approach us if he had a question; if his only purpose was to gawk, he would surely do so using more discretion. Not so. He dithered away for a couple more minutes before asking me if this was in fact a playpark, and if this area was in fact Newington. I answered in the affirmative and scuttled away.
Why was he there? Did he suspect our motives? Why did he ask me such obvious questions? I began to wonder if the sight of adults playing on a playground was an inherent magnet for weirdos. The answer will have to wait for subsequent adventures.
