Parks and Rec unveils new Amos Playground equipment

In a neighborhood where discussion usually centers around the student housing boom, Philadelphia Parks and Rec and City Council President Darrell Clarke came together to unveil something designed specifically for the neighborhood – new play equipment at Amos Playground. The playground is just one of the amenities at Amos Recreation Center, which includes two basketball courts and a swimming pool and sits directly between Temple University athletic fields and blocks dominated by student housing.

“Council President Clarke committed $200,000 to ensure that the young people of this community have a playground right here at Amos,” said Susan Slawson, first deputy commissioner of recreation and programs for Parks and Recreation.

Clarke said during community meetings held at the recreation center that focussed on issues surrounding student housing, community members often asked that something be done about the playground. 

“We kept hearing, ‘You have to do something with the rec center,'” he said. “At the end of the day, we heard you.”

As part of the playground makeover, the outdated equipment was replaced with new, bright equipment. A soft, cushioned play surface was installed and site furnishings and landscaping were added. 

Slawson said this is the type of work Parks and Recreation is striving to do across the city.