Pleasant Hill Park
By Sophia Pryszlak
Friends of Pleasant Hill Park
Pleasant Hill Park, located in northeast Philadelphia off Linden and Delaware Avenues, has always been a jewel among Philadelphia Parks. The Fish Hatchery is well over 100 years old and, thanks to the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy, it is one of the most beautiful parks in our city. The fish ponds are stocked twice a year for the enjoyment of visitors. It is such a pleasure to see children learning how to fish and enjoy the great outdoors. With the recent addition and completion of the Baxter Trail, our little park is better than ever. The trail allows for bicyclers, walkers, joggers, and dog walkers to enjoy a longer walk and better access from the other parks in our area.
During the summer we run several community programs in the park. Saturdays during the summer we offer free community fishing days for anyone who wishes to attend. Community fishing days include free bait and use of rods and instruction from dedicated park staff and volunteers.
Free movie nights are also run during the summer. This year our turnout for the movie Aladdin was well over 200 people. The children enjoyed chalking pictures and messages on the park walkways prior to settling in for the movie. The Friends of Pleasant Hill Park also provided freeze pops for all to keep cool on that hot summer night.
The friends group can’t take all the credit– we owe our success to the wonderful, hard-working, and dedicated people of the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, and recently, the team from the Delaware River City Corporation. A Keystone Fund grant made park improvements possible.
Twice a year our volunteers get together for the spring and fall “Love Your Park” clean-up day. Hard work? Yes, but we always have a great time and the results are well worth the effort. Keeping our park clean and safe for all to enjoy is the main goal of all involved.
In addition to the events held in the park, the real beauty is the amount of wildlife that can be seen at any given time. We have foxes, turtles, rabbits, pheasants, and herons, just to name a few. It is absolutely wonderful to have such diversity in a city park, of all places! With the addition of the Baxter trail, more visitors will have access to enjoy the beauty that local residents enjoy on a daily basis.
Great things are happening in our little park. A wetland project is also in the works. Though there have been some delays, we look forward to having yet another reason for people to come out and enjoy the park.
