Yesterday, officials cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Francisville Playground at Wylie & Cameron. This regularly-used play space for neighborhood kids had been in need of a little love for quite some time, and $250K later it’s been improved considerably.

Time to take down the sign

Play area for younger kids

For the older kids

New mural on the rec center

According to a press release, the renovations included new play equipment, new safety surfaces, and new landscaping. In addition, the spray area will now be controlled by a button, which should reduce wastage significantly. Finally, the rec center has gotten a new mural, thanks to Mural Arts.

The Francisville Playground is just the latest in a line of public play areas to be renovated in recent years. We’ve covered this sort of thing at the Clemente Playground a few blocks from here, Dickinson Square Park, and a few others as well. Whether this recent string of playground renovations is tied to changing safety requirements or a desire to make Philadelphia playgrounds better for the kids, it’s a good sight to see. Hopefully, as more folks continue to move into Francisville, this playground will continue to get more and more use in the years to come.

Right outside the entrance to the playground

Perhaps the giant vacant lot across the street could someday be a source of kids for the playground. But first, the owners would have to, you know, build some houses here.