Sarah M.
Yelp
Oh Grandview Park, how I love it so. Sure, it may not be the most physically beautiful park in town, but that does nothing to detract from its splendour. You see, the real beauty of Grandview Park lies within the community that makes use of it. I once read somewhere that this is one of the most widely used parks in Vancouver, and it wouldn't surprise me if that were true. A year after construction/landscaping has completed, there is always someone in the park. Always.
The way I see it, Grandview Park can be divided into four sections:
1. The Cenotaph
Being the closest to Commercial Drive, there are always people hanging around the sitting area here. Often, you'll find locals setting up "shop", selling clothing, DVDs, antiques, and even baked goods. Sure, some of the folk that sell here may look a bit rough around the edges, but I've also seen a lot of young folks out selling homemade jewelry and other goods, either for charity or just plain fun.
2. The Playground
Even though I don't have kids, I remember being thoroughly impressed with the playground when it first opened. On top of the usual slides and swings, there are a couple play houses, a mini rock climbing wall, and even a small water park. There are always a ton of kids with their parents here during the day, and to be honest, I think a few of the local adults have just as much fun after dark here, too.
3. The Court
On the southwest side of the park is Vancouver's first bike polo court, built exactly to bike polo specifications (or so the Vancouver Park Board website says). Honestly, I had never even heard of bike polo until I saw a large crowd of people playing it here shortly after the park reopened. Now, there are bike polo players here several times each week, and I must say it's pretty entertaining to watch. I've seen people playing ball hockey and frisbee with their dogs here, too.
4. The Lawn
On sunny days, there are always groups of people hanging out on the lawn, and usually at least one or two of them have musical instruments. You can expect to hear bongo drums, guitars, and singing while walking through this section of the park. Once, when I was walking home after midnight, I even saw a man sitting in the dark playing his sitar -and this was in late fall! You had best not be offended by marijuana smoke, as there seems to always be a joint being passed around here. It's an area made for hippies, reminding me of scenes from San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. I even overheard a small child with his parents last week say "this reminds me of San Francisco." True story.
Clearly there's a lot going on in this park, and with it only taking up one city block, I'd say that's pretty impressive. On top of all of the above, Grandview Park tends to be the gathering place for a lot of local parades, protests, and other demonstrations, and during the warmer months there seems to be festivals here a few times per month.
For all of its grit and all of its glory, I love Grandview Park. It's the best backyard any Commercial Drive resident could ever ask for.