Plaza Methodist Park is a busy, small neighborhood park. It has a playground and small field. The park is mostly clean overall but tends to have a small to moderate amount of litter that seems to be worse during the school year. 2.5* rounding up.
-- The Playground --
The playground area with wood chip mulch is best for elementary school aged children. The equipment is in generally good condition; with close supervision it's good for younger children (note that there are large gaps in the openings along the playground system), and those who are a bit older congregate or toss a football, etc in the field. There are baby/toddler swings, one intermediate swing, and regular swings. There's also a teeter-totter. The playground is in full sun.
-- Benches & Pavilions --
There is one pavilion with one picnic table beneath it. There is one trash can not far from it. There are a couple benches along the perimeter of the playground.
-- Walking Areas --
There are no paths or walking areas within the park, although you could wander around the small field or walk along the sidewalk that runs along 3 sides of the park.
-- Sporting Equipment --
There are no other equipment options other than the playground.
-- Amenities --
There are no toilet amenities, so not ideal for a long visit.
-- Parking --
There is a parking lot owned by Light of Hope United Methodist Church. I've parked there for short visits without issue, but there is a sign saying towing enforced.
-- Things to Note --
During peak times, it's usually very busy with kids. It's right across from an apartment complex and across from Lynnhaven Elementary and the Church offers childcare, so it's convenient for a lot of families. Other than the parking lot, the perimeter of the park is all neighborhood streets just off of S Plaza Trail. There is no fence or physical boundary between the park and roads, but there is a sidewalk. It's not too close to water, so mosquitoes aren't much of an issue.
-- Takeaways --
This is an average centrally located neighborhood park. The main attraction is its playground. If you are in the area and there's no longer a pandemic going on, it's worth a visit particularly not during the school year, but during the school year there seems to be a lot of people passing through and littering. You may want to make a project out of cleaning up the park (bring gloves and a trash bag). I wouldn't suggest traveling out of your way for it though, and right now with the need for social distancing, I prefer to try to frequent less busy parks. read more