Growing up in Philly meant heading to the playground.

I would have all the little kids pack picnic lunches, PB&J, and we'd head off for Tarken. I even remember before it had a skating rink.

The best was when the city provided us with free tennis lessons, and Nick, was the hottest guy I had ever seen. I was probably 12 and Nick was in his early 20's...white shorts, white tennis shirt...really strong legs and tan...heavy sigh.

Anyhow, the bigger excursions were when we went a bit further out of our "hood" to Max Myers. They had a pool! It was truly the best.

(Sorry if I screwed up the spelling, I'm just too tired to google them...)

Growing up, my mother would take us to smith playground.

Smith playground is located near 33rd and oxford in the fairmount park,,

This playground had the biggest 'FREE' sliding board i had ever seen,,, although free had a price,, you would leave the park with burn marks on your legs from the friction between your skin and somewhat polished wood lol. Also u would leave with a headache because of the other 50 kids kicking you in your head when u got to the bottom,, lol kids r so impatient.

Then there was the worlds deadliest merry go round lol. As the teenagers would take turns spinning the poorly oiled contraption until riders were flung off like rag dolls. Ahhh the good old days.

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Ty, Carson

Hmmmm, come to think of it, Max Myers had the great big slide as well!

I'll 2nd Smith Playground. That slide was awesome.

But most of my time was spent at Clark Park and the alleys.

I went to the Taney pool now and then.

We used to hang out and play endless basketball games at Frankford playground. And we'd go swimming at the pool at Summerdale playground or sometimes we'd trek over to the pool at Simpson playground.

Lower Mayfair. It was brand spanking new when we were coming up.

Maxies did have the biggest slide until we got the playground. Then we got a big one that turned and all. It was the best. We had a sprinkler too.

We did run across the Boulevard to go swimming at Maxies though. Dangerous but great times. Good thread Ariel.

My 6-year-old daughter loves Smith. They still have the Giant Slide. All the other outdoor equipment was replaced a few years ago, with new landscaping and modern play contraptions. It's very cool, and the biggest playground I've seen.

Thanks ACE.

I find just thinking about my playground days can lower my BP.

I used to work with a really big and burly retired Philly homocide detective who would tell me how he frequently would head up to NYC during the week and ride the carosel! I've never been on the one in central park, but he used to rave about it. I just couldn't picture a grown man having the guts to do that, but for some reason I believed him.

My top 2:

1) Smith is wonderful
2) I love the playground in McMichael Park in East Falls that will one day exist.

i grew up in kensington and my dad use to take me and a couple buddies up to juniata park.it was like going to the country! the playground was alright, but we would go back to the crick where the tunnel was, but my dad would never let us go in there. we would go over to snake road too. they were good times