cuisine

Classic Picnic in City Park

New Possibilities, and Old Memories
By Dale Irvin
Dawson, Kaley, and Malyn Fontenot work up an appetite before the picnic with a romp on the
brand new playground equipment at recently reopened City•Brooks Community Park’s Picnic Hill.
The last time I stood in this park, and grinned at kids scrambling across the playground equipment, it was my kids swinging and sliding and squealing with delight. It’s hard to believe that was twenty years ago as I watch a new generation of little ones, ecstatic about the array of brand new thrills they’re discovering in the newly reopened City•Brooks Community Park.

The two parks across Dalrymple Drive from each other have now been blended together into one activity-packed adventure ground in the heart of Baton Rouge. The playground equipment is the latest and greatest, sitting at the top of what is now called Picnic Hill and surrounded of course, by picnic tables. Just down the rise is a huge enclosed area so that Fido can come along for the fun as well. Across the street the always popular Tennis Center has been completely updated, there are new walking and biking trails that meander up and down hills and past the spruced-up golf course. Behind the park’s Baton Rouge Gallery building there’s a brand new spot to practice the very old meditative art of labyrinth walking. And everywhere there are park benches, scattered and dappled beneath many of the park’s venerable oaks.

The park is also well located for those in search of picnic provisions with lots of choices nearby: Zeeland Street Market, Zippy’s Burritos, Di Giulio Italian Café, Rama Thai Cuisine, George’s, and the deli at the Bet-R grocery all offer great food to go, a short hop down Perkins Road.

DETAILS. details. DETAILS.
City Park
1442 City Park Avenue,
Baton Rouge, La.
(225) 343-0461
www.brec.org