This was the “other” city park when I was growing up. That is, a city park of any size next to Randolph Park. And Himmel, too, was a midtown park. With a similar history to Randolph Park.
With a library and extensive playgrounds and sport fields, this was the jewel of midtown. Surrounded by the Sam Hughes Neighborhood, it was a place we often, as elementary school students, visited on field trips.
The land was donated to the city in the 1930s with the stipulation that be a park named for her family. Alvina Himmel Edmonson, had homesteaded on the acreage that makes up much of today’s park. The park was built in 1944. The library was the first branch library and opened in the early 1960s. Lots of firsts about this place.
The park and library are also home to many pieces of art so it fits in with much of the public art in the rest of the city.
These days it is home to many activities ranging from outdoor dance to pickleball to weekly casual runs. Sal and I make our way there most Saturday mornings to walk with the Park Run group. While we aren’t the fastest, it gives us a feeling of community and be among friends.
Appropriately, “Himmel” translates to “heaven” in German.
This central location makes it an ideal location for kids sports and a place for a small terrier to play ball on a weekly basis.
Relentless
