Neighborhood Parks
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in…”
The neighborhood park is a sacred place. It is land reserved for beauty and belonging. It nurtures the health of both creation and the community. As a park cleans the air and cools the city, it’s presence consistently encourages people to move outdoors in a moment consumed with digital distractions.
The park is common ground. New neighbors and future friends walk and run by each other at the same time each day. Quietly the local park cultivates a connection among those who do not share either backgrounds or beliefs. And yet, the neighborhood park is a place of shared paths and playgrounds, common tables and trails.
Cranmer Park is one of the 250 parks in the city of Denver. From this park a brilliant panorama of our city is seen. The land was acquired in 1908, with the first terrazzo terrace constructed in 1923. Landmarks along the Front Range were etched in the terrazzo creating a mosaic of Colorado’s mountain range.
Neighbors call it “Sundial Park”. The original sundial was installed in 1941. It was destroyed by vandals in 1965, but faithfully replaced by a community effort in 1966. The sundial and terrace deteriorated due to the weather over the years. They were beautifully restored in 2018 for neighbors to enjoy watching children play in the fields and sunsets over the city for the next 100 years.
The park is the place where we reconnect with Creation and community. The park provides a place to play and pray.
The neighborhood park is a sacred place.
