Weekly Hike - FDR PARK (South Philly)

WEEKLY HIKE -
FDR PARK - SOUTH PHILLY
(6 Miles | 50 Feet of Elevation)

PLEASE NOTE - THIS HIKE IS STARTING AT 6:30 PM AS THE PARK'S GATES CLOSE AT 9PM.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR GPS AND/OR GOOGLE MAPS BEFORE YOU START DRIVING TO MAKE SURE YOU ENTER THE PARK OFF OF PATTISON AVE.

DESCRIPTION

Long before it became the South Philly staple it is today, the land that is now FDR Park consisted of acres upon acres of wetlands and marshes separated from “mainland” Philadelphia by Hollander Creek, which ran between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Between the late 1700s and early 1900s, these marshes were slowly drained and filled to support agriculture and eventually residential development. It wasn’t until 1913 that the Olmsted Brothers, the sons of the prominent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted of New York’s famed Central Park, designed League Island Park. The park was built in a neighborhood of Philadelphia once known as “The Neck,” which spanned from Oregon Avenue to what is now the Navy Yard. Shaped by their father’s romantic vision of landscape architecture, the Olmsted Brothers designed a picturesque park with curving roads and paths, curated views of architecture and landscape, and a series of tidal lakes encompassing the remains of Hollander Creek. Typical Olmsted features appear in the design of FDR Park: a wide expanse of field greets visitors as they first enter the park, the flow of each area is subtly separated for specific activities, and the lack of any one site of architecture is viewed for its individual beauty. The park would go on to earn the nickname “The Lakes,” and become a popular swimming spot for Philadelphians.

In 1926, League Island Park became a site of the Sesquicentennial Exposition of American Independence. A number of architecturally significant structures were built in the park, including the Municipal Stadium east of Broad and the American Swedish Historical Museum west of Broad Street, which remains to this day. Following the celebration, the park returned to its original purpose as a public park, although the city continued to develop the area east of Broad Street. Today, this stretch of the park is now known as the Stadium District. In the 1940s, a golf course was added to the western side of the park. At the same time, the park itself was renamed Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in honor of the former U.S. president. In 1996, skaters constructed the famous FDR Skatepark under I-95, which is still maintained independently by skaters today! In 2000, the park was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

PLEASE NOTE - THE PARK IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REHAB PROJECT TO RESTORE THE OLD GOLF COURSE TO ITS MARSHY ORIGINS. WE WILL ADJUST OUR ROUTE AS NEEDED AND IF A LOT OF THE SIDE TRAILS ARE OUT OF COMMISSION OR STILL UNDER RECONSTRUCTION, WE WILL DO SEVERAL LOOPS OF THE LAKES.

Join us as we can only do this hike one or two times a year from May to September on our weeknight circuit.

OBSTACLES | SPECIAL NOTES

• Consider this a mix of a city and outdoorsy hike. Expect typical/normal "urban" obstacles such as broken and uneven sidewalks, pedestrian traffic, even bicycle traffic, etc. But we will use some of the dirt, side trails which can be muddy, wet, or just broken as well, depending on recent weather conditions. Normal hiking gear works fine - though some people find sneakers or shoes with thicker soles easier for long distances on cement than their regular hiking boots.
• Not much elevation on this hike
• No other special notes or obstacles

PACE | DISTANCE | ELEVATION

• PACE - About 3.5 mph on this (which is our usual for "urban" hikes)
• Distance - About 6 miles +/- (6 is target)
• Elevation - 50 feet +/-

BASIC INFO

• DAY & DATE: Tuesday June 17th
• START TIME: 6:30PM (AND WE START ON TIME!)
• STARTING LOCATION: FRD PARK
• Address: 1900 Pattison Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145
• LENGTH: 6 Miles +/- (6 is target)
• ELEVATION: 50 Feet +/- (50 is target)
• SPEED: 3.0 to 3.5 Mph average
• END TIME: Target is 9:00 PM

GEAR:

• Hiking boots/shoes, trail runners, or sneakers okay for this. Keep in mind whatever you wear shouldn't be your "Sunday Best" or something you mind getting dirty, muddy, wet. Some folks find sneakers or similar shoes better for long distance hiking/walking on hard paved trails.
• Water
• Appropriate clothing - hats, rain jackets, etc. as needed
• A change of clothes and/or towel for after (at your discretion)
• Headlamps not necessary for this but okay to bring for the end.
• I also advise people bring hiking bags - either to help store stuff and/or to keep your hands free so you grow accustomed to using one
• Snacks (as you see fit)
• Beer or other drink for before the hike.

PARKING

• Free parking and free admission.
• Please do not leave valuables in or anything visible in your vehicle!

MEETING SPOT

• We will gather in the first parking lot to the right as you enter the park from Pattison Avenue
• As always, I will post a comment with my outfit and upload a map with a pin on it to the event photos when I arrive.

BATHROOMS

• Bathrooms MAY be available at the starting/end point - but I don't remember if there are any and if they'll be open.
• No planned bathroom stops or available on the hike but plenty of trees and bushes if you really need to go

BREAKS

• No real "breaks" on the hike other than times to let people catch up, catch their breath and get some water and/or change gear & clothing a few times, and to take some photos here and there.

AFTERWARDS

• Afterwards if enough people are interested, we can go out nearby for a drink and/or some food in South Philly.

CANCELLATIONS

• I do not cancel hikes for inclement weather. It must be dangerous conditions during the hike or dangerous travel conditions to/from for me to cancel. If I ever do need to cancel or postpone, I try to do so as early as possible.
• You may cancel at any time up to and including the start time of the hike. Cancellations without contacting me after the start of an event counts as a no-show. More than 3 no-shows will get you removed from the group. If something happens, I get it, reach out and just tell me after. I've been there - hungover, busy, etc. Just be polite, and brief, if you miss and forget to cancel.