Walk 37: Peninsula Park & 4 Neighborhoods (3 miles)

Four neighborhoods and a large park in just three miles? Yep. This walk passed through Humboldt, Piedmont, Arbor Lodge and Overlook.

Starting at PSU's Cascade campus near Jefferson High School, after a few blocks I soon came to the Peninsula Park and rose garden. This place is big! A bit bare looking, but I could appreciate the stone and brickwork and envision what this will look like when the fountain is flowing and the summer sun works its magic:



Walking through the center of the garden I approached an octagonal bandstand/gazebo, which on the opposite side faces a large field. Seems like everywhere I go I can picture making music somewhere. Must be "tuned in" to the idea!





At the other end of the field is the city's oldest community center (which includes an open air pool in the back).



Another interesting sight along the way is the Villa St. Rose, a former Catholic convent and girls school, now renovated senior housing.



As I made my way toward this pedestrian I-5 overpass, I stopped and had a short chat with a resident of the Villa St. Rose. She told me that she knows man there who "remembers the bad old days. He would point to a row of houses and say 'That was a crack house, and that one, and over there...' Fortunately that's mostly gone now." While it's really great to hear about neighborhoods improving and drugs and gang problems disappearing, I have to wonder: Where does it go? Declining neighborhoods? Other cities?



Speaking of interesting houses, I thought this was a yard sale, until I looked a little closer, and realized that the stair-stepper, bench-and-weight set, fire pit and lawn chairs were all part of a permanent setup. Not something you normally see in late winter.



Toward the end of my walk, at Ockley Middle School I came across three totems featuring poetry by its students.



This was my favorite. Text re-typed below:



The sky is light blue, and the sun is out;
birds are flying; it’s a beautiful day as I shout.
I hear the half way wonderful sounds of Oregon –
Shouts coming from the car,
sounds of people smacking food
or being rude; as my day ends,
I leave on my 18 speed bike.
The world is a Beautiful place.
Don’t miss out.
Sean Lacy, Age 13