I’m a walker and I love to explore the little hidden park lands all over Newton and there are quite a few of them. Somehow, over these last years of exploring Newton Parks, I managed to miss the wonderful Kennard Park between Dudley St and the Brookline line. I guess I wasn’t the only one.
The Friends of Kennard Park hatched a bodacious plan to put Kennard Park on the map and man did they pull something special off. They recruited a host of artists to create sculptures off all shapes styles and kinds especially for the park. The Kennard Park sculptures are all there now throughout the park and will be there till the end of October.
There’s a trail that loops around the beautiful park and all along the way you’ll see stumble upon sculptures of all kinds. It’s a great walk on a sunny day. Don’t miss it!
( photo courtesy of Carmel Jackson)
Kennard Park is a local treasure, I can’t wait to go explore the sculptures. The park connects to Lost Pond and Skyline Park in Brookline, so it can easily be made into a nice half-day outing.
You start off with “I’m a walker”, so I’m surprised you don’t mention the biggest problem with Kennard Park: It cannot be accessed by walking (or biking for that matter), especially with kids in tow. Dudley Road has no sidewalk or even an inch of shoulder space to speak of. I drove there yesterday and even the roadway itself is narrowed by overgrown vegetation on the eastern side. Add to that poor visibility because of sharp curves, and you get a really nasty situation for walkers or bikers.
I have talked to city officials about this several times, but nothing seems to help. I hope some of the city councilors on this blog may have some insight or suggestions.
Newtoner – you’re absolutely right. I was driven there on my visit so it wasn’t even on my radar.
This map from the Newton Conservators shows where you can park: 1) By the driveway to the Newton Parks & Recreation office off Dudley,2) The end of Audubon Drive, and 3) The end of Pond Brook Road. The green triangles mark these access points and “P” signifies parking at each. And this page has links to directions and parking for each of those three access points.
Here’s a story from Laura Lovett in the Tab about it. Nice photos too.