Gateway Park is a small park/playground located near the southern end of Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway. It sits in the shadow of the Chinatown Gate, so the park’s condition sends a powerful message about the state of the neighborhood and Boston generally. Unlike the newly created Chinatown Park to the north, Gateway Park is in poor condition and suffers from the following problems:
- wood play structure and wood benches rotting
- plaza brickwork surrounding play structure loose and missing
- lack of plantings (existing plant beds empty)
- food waste, pigeon and rat feces on plaza surface
- bones and cigarette butts in sandbox
- trash, newspapers, empty liquor bottles on ground
- public urination on plaza and in empty plant beds
Improving this park is listed as a community priority in the City of Boston Open Space Plan 2008-2012 Draft (at page 7.2.3-11): “Address immediate security and safety problems at Gateway Park, such as garbage and conflicts with vagrants. Redesign Gateway Park to better meet community needs.” This language is identical to the community priority stated in the previous Open Space Plan 2002-2006 at page 68.
With help, Gateway Park could be a pleasant public space for families, children, and local residents. Let’s see waht we can do here. Continued… (read more and comment)