The parks of Windsor

Well I have talked about the streets of Windsor, now for the parks. Windsor is a small suburb, you can see by this Google Maps image just how much there is a lack of open green public space.

Basically Windsor is dominated by residential and commercial buildings. There are five main public open spaces (represented by the yellow pins); Gladstone Gardens, Windsor Siding Reserve (which is the largest), James Street Reserve, Harry Gregory Reserve and Chris Gahan Reserve. According to Stonnington council, in Windsor there is only 5.33 square metres of open green public space per resident.

So with such a small amount of green space it should be quality space that can be used by the residents and other users. Unfortunately most of the open spaces fail at this basic task. One exception is Chris Gahan Reserve which is a well designed park that can be used for picnics, dog walking, basketball and oval activities. It has a good border of trees so the users have a sense of being removed from the residential property that surrounds two sides of this park.

Chris Gahan Reserve

Now for some of the not so great parks let's start with Gladstone Gardens, here is a decent size space that just doesn't do anything for me at all. It has a children's playground that borders with a massive housing commission apartment block and almost no trees on the border at all, check it out.

Not really a great picnic spot with the locals watching

A playground, and a massive apartment block next to it, yes a bit of a border of trees but aesthetically not pleasant

So next is Windsor siding, it is dominated by a warehouse storage building, a train track, a powerline and a telstra commercial building. It is a great open space for sport activities as it has a cricket net, basketball court, bmx track and oval but it's not a park I want to hang out in and read a book or have a picnic.

BBQ picnic anyone, mmm not much to look at 

And in the other direction

Harry Gregory, well there is definitely no love here, small with no tree shade and a tiny patch of grass, but there is a playground for the littlies, just watch out for the gravel though not so good to fall on.

Harry Gregory Reserve

Finally James Street Reserve, another very small space with a playground and a small patch of grass. Judging by the graffiti, empty stubbies and rubbish that is in this corner of the park social activity does happen here, just not sure how the locals feel about this park it is quite the eyesore.

Well that's all the local open public spaces in my tiny suburb of Windsor, for me there is not much on offer in terms of getting out and relaxing in the Windsor parks. Luckily I am fortunate enough to also live close to St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Albert Park, Fawkner Park and various other parks that more than make up for the lack of quality open green spaces in Windsor.