Kosciuszko Park

My park!
I’ve lived here since 2008 and although it’s true that the area USED to be bad, it has really, really improved over the past few years. Gangbangers used to frequently hang around the basketball zone right off of the Diversey entrance, but since the hoops have been taken down, the trouble makers have disappeared almost entirely right along with them. It’s true that there are a few bums hanging out on the bench, but those benches are nowhere near the park, and the homeless men there normally keep to themselves. They’re harmless.
This park has literally everything you need or want. An amazingly long running/​bike track perfect for all ages. Classes of every kind, whether it’s indoor swimming classes, adult dance/​Zumba classes, yoga, karate for kids, arts and crafts classes, educational classes — to outdoor activities like baseball, soccer, tennis, movies at the park in the summer, or the wet sprinkler zone to refresh the tiny ones I during those hot days.
The city is also usually very quick to fix broken swings/​rubber mat ground/​etc and clean up the area when needed.
The only thing missing now is a sandbox area! But let’s be real, we all know the kids play in the baseball diamond sand anyway.
And I cannot BELIEVE that no one mentioned the great women who park their food carts next to the park and sell their delicious Hispanic foods/​candy/​ice cream all summer long. So thankful for them (and the elote!).

I signed my 3 ½ year old up for tots level 2 swim class here… I was alittle worried at first after reading some of the reviews about the neighborhood, but after taking her to the park a few times, it didnt matter… the area is alittle rough (but i live in humboldt park so im kinda used to it) i thought it would be worse (due to some of the reviews) but its a nice park. yes on one side of the park there are «bums» but around the play area and the field house its nice, no creepy people or anything
anyways…level 2 for tots swim class they go in the pool without parents/​guardians! at first i thought my daughter wouldnt do it (like soo many of the other kids signed up in her class) but she jumped right in. the teachers made her feel comfortable in the water and didnt make her do anything she was scared to do!
my daughter has a speech delay (and i forgot to tell them) but i think they may have figured it out (since she doesnt speak as well as other 3 ½ year olds)
they do alot of 1 on 1(or 1 on 2kids) in the class. there is normally 2 or 3 teachers in the pool and 1 or 2 outside assisting. the class my daughter is in has alot of kids.10 kids maybe?!
my daughter has only had 2 classes but is so much more confident in her swimming skills… the 2^nd class she had, she was ready to jump in, she said «bye mama“and jumped and never looked back :(
i think the water may be alittle cold (although i havent been in it) by the time the class is over my daughters lips are light purple/​blue and shes shaking cold i would take her out during her class but she would kick and scream as she loves being in the water!
the locker rooms arent the best, i been to other parks w/​pools that had better locker rooms/​stalls/​showers but they do their job…
i gave kos 5 stars cause the teachers as sooo nice and friendly to the kids!(1^st class one girl screamed the WHOLE TIME. the class is 1 hour long! and one of the teachers was with her the whole time, her screaming in his face, splashing water and he tried to relax her, not sure why the parents didnt take her out, but whatever)
i plan on signing my daughter up for swim classes here again!
i have never had any other classes (nor has my daughter) here so im not sure what they are like… but i am willing to give them a try, hopefully they will be half as good as the swim class :)

Just completed a beginners swim class from the winter 2013 session and I just have to say how pleased I was with it. The teachers were great and I actually came out of the class learning what I wanted, on top of a newfound enjoyment of swimming. I also left with helpful tips on what to do if I ever were to panic underwater and swim techniques for those situations, but in general, the class helped me feel more confident in the water. Thank you again and I look forward to lap swimming on my own and possibly a next level class here in the future!

A great jogging spot that is not only well maintained but also well-​lit. While the area certainly isn’t the «best» in Chicago, I ran here between 4am and 7am for four consecutive days and never once saw anything sketchy or ‘criminal’ occuring — as a matter of fact, all I did see was young folks walking dogs, older Hispanic couples jogging/​walking the trails, and a few homeless people minding their business.

I don’t go here alone. Sure I have family that lives around here but the park can be kinda dangerous alone. Lots of homeless people sleeping or lounging around the park, I’ve never had a problem from any of them other than wolfcalls or drunken yells. The neighborhood around the park isn’t the greatest and that’s what brings down the park. If you’re in a group and want to play some soccer go ahead and come here, they’re are always people there ready to play.
Note; Two of the tennis courts were changed to soccer practice fields but they’re always really crowded.

I cannot jog here without feeling like I am about to get shot in a drive-​by. This park pretty much belongs to thugs.

I lived in Avondale for ten years and found Kosciuszko Park a godsend for year-​round lap swimming. The pool is quite new, relative to many others in the Chicago Park District, so it’s actually one of the nicer ones around. The showers and lockers are no worse than those at many other city natatoriums, but definitely better than those at older facilities such as Eckhart Park Natatorium, on Chicago and Noble.
The pool staff here are generally nice but the ones in the fieldhouse can sometimes be hard to locate.
The pool used to be frequented mainly by older neighbourhoodies. Towards the end of my time in Avondale, more young transplants were showing up. Still, I don’t recall significant overcrowding or obnoxiously competitive behaviour (Welles and Gill Parks tend to experience both pretty regularly). Swimmers at all levels were generally cooperative about sharing the pool. Hopefully that’s still the case.
It’s unfortunate to read about negative incidents witnessed or experienced by people like C.J.G. I never spent much time in the field but the entire area always seemed generally peaceful whenever I biked around or headed to the pool, which was very often. I really hope that those incidents are more the exception than the rule here. In any case, this area is nowhere close to being a ghetto! Ghettos are truly desperate and depressing. The area around Kosciuszko Park can be a little gritty, but calling it a ghetto is a bit off the mark. Don’t give up on Kosciuszko Park, C.J.G.
On the issue of solipsism, it’s one of those human traits that’s not restricted to any specific culture or class. It just manifests in different ways. You should see some of the ugly and dangerous behaviour on show in the swank parts of town. The bottom line is that there are always going to be people that will just ruin things for everyone else, and they’re not all poor!

This park has four baseball fields, tennis courts and a playground. It’s not as fancy as many other Chicago parks, but it performs a good function for the neighborhood. My son went here for after-​school care and we were pleased with the activities. Staff helpful in resolving kid issues.