Location: 1300 Hillcrest Drive, Arlington. Located in a neighborhood at the northeast corner of East Park Row Drive and New York Avenue. It’s easy to spot, but parking is on the street.
Why it’s noteworthy: Slides, slides and more slides. Everywhere you turn there’s another slide. This playground is not for kids afraid of heights, as the play structure has three levels with a tube slide at the very top for little daredevils.
Extras: Load up your bikes, skateboards, skates and helmets because the most unusual aspect of this park is its skate park. While younger kiddos may not get much out of it, older, more experienced skaters and riders will get a thrill out of the ramps and obstacles.
Safety: Burl L. Wilkes Park scored a 20 out of 24, giving it an overall safety grade of an A*. The lone play structure is designed for ages 5–12; younger kids will need close adult supervision on the tall equipment. The binocular toys have broken and cracked plastic and the equipment is missing a steering wheel; however, this is a clean playground with no major safety hazards.
Pluses & minuses
+ Lots of slides
+ Shady
+ Has a skate park
– Street parking
– No restrooms
– One play structure
Our Grade: 4/5
*Based on the National Program for Playground Safety’s Report Card at playgroundsafety.org
This review was distributed to the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation for further review and/or action.
