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| - Urban parks are tough. They are expensive to maintain, hard to police and it can be difficult to inspire urban dwellers to actually use them. We've all driven by green spaces that never have anyone anywhere near them. Not even displaced (i.e. homeless) people.
But Riley Park is different - it's flourishing! It's a huge green space sandwiched between SAIT and Kensington. It is home to one of Calgary's more popular cricket fields - it's nice to sit there in the shade watching a game where you have no idea what's going on. There are lots of big trees that provide plenty of shade and quite developed gardens - different colours, heights, textures and fragrances.
More exciting stuff it offers? It has a kiddie pool, refreshing. But it has lots of live music too - there is a small covered stage that had a live music group that plays. Farther along, closer to the cricket field, there is a group of guys who DJ, playing relaxing, unobtrusive house music and messing around with a hackey sack. What else is kind of nice? That there's a Shell station half a block away with all the refreshments and bug spray you could want, as well as trendy Kensington, with more beer pit stops than a person could know what to do with.
There is lots of parking, being right beside the Hillhurst Community Centre and just north of the park, at the base of the hill in behind it. Perfect for Sunday reading, boccie or sunbathing.
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