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There is really nothing “pleasant” about Mount Pleasant Park. The park is comprised of three separate fields with dilapidated turf, rusting backstops and field goals that are barely standing. While there is a eighteen hole golf course and an ice rink that share the name Mount Pleasant, those facilities are really separate and distinct from the park.
The park not only suffers from poor maintenance, the way the park is situated is unfortunate as well. The three fields that make up the park are not connected, do not have parking and require navigating a busy roadway – Echodale Avenue – to move between the different fields. Without a connection between the fields, it is difficult to create a cohesive park.
Regardless of the way the park is situated, the complete lack of maintenance at this park is inexcusable and the failure to provide usable amenities at this park is a detriment to the surrounding community
LOCATION
The west side of Mount Pleasant Park is located at Perring Parkway and Echodale Avenue. The east side of the park is located at Echodale Avenue and Herring Run Drive.
The three fields that make up the park can be seen on this screen shot of google maps satellite view.
AMENITIES
1. Field No. 1
Field No. 1 is meant to be a baseball field and a football field. Unfortunately, it is not functional. The fields are nothing more than weeds and the backstop and field goal posts are barely standing. Removal of these inoperable rusting pieces of metal may be the best option at this point.
2. Field No. 2
Field No. 2 is in a little better shape. To get from Field No. 1 to Field No. 2 take the sidewalk on Echodale Avenue for a block to the east. At that point, you will see a backstop for a baseball field which is not currently in use and a football field with standing field goal posts and a scoreboard.
The turf on field no. 2 is rough. While the field may be usable, it is only barely usable as the turf is made almost entirely of weeds and is full of uneven surfaces that could be brutal on ankles.
3. Field No. 3
Across Echodale Avenue from fields nos. 1 and 2 is field no. 3. At first, it was unclear to me whether this field was part of Mount Pleasant Park or if it was owned by the Barclay Square Apartments which borders the field. On closer inspection, it does appear to be part of the park.
This field is completely dysfunctional. There is an overgrown weedy field with a rusty backstop consumed by vines. There is also a rusting swing set that is missing actual swings and a confusing metal horse shaped playground-type contraption.
THE FUTURE OF MOUNT PLEASANT PARK
It is not clear what the future holds for Mount Pleasant Park. Honestly, it could not get much worse. At a minimum, removal of rusting baseball field backstops, unusable playground equipment and faltering field goal posts is needed to improve the park. To have a larger impact, the turf and fields should be restored and a new design should be considered. Otherwise, this park will not give the neighborhoods around the park the access to quality recreation that they deserve.
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It’s a shame. We would ride or bikes down Herring Run Dr to the park 3 to play on the equipment.
I also remember a riding stable at the north end of Mt Pkeasant Golf Course right where Hillen Rd curved into Loch Raven Blvd, but can find no info on it
I used to ride horses from the riding stable. Don’t remember the name, but I remember crossing the golf course, then across Hillen Road, then back across to the stable (horses would race back if we didn’t restrain them). This was in the mid- to late 50’s.
It’s a shame. We would ride or bikes down Herring Run Dr to the park 3 to play on the equipment. Park 1 was the latest attempt at refurbishing the fields. The park just below it used to have bleachers and a scoreboard. When we played there in the mid 59’s, that field was apparently part of another by gone era.