Kids Parks in Santa Cruz: Grant Park

Visitor Submission by S.H.: "Grant Park has really neat unusual playgrounds, with a couple of unique merry-go-round structures, big shallow disc-shaped swings, a climbing rock. Unfortunately, large crowds of homeless people also hang out here and sing bad 70's rock on an untuned guitar. It has bathrooms and nice shade. I think the little kids playground has wood chips, but I can't remember for sure."

I don't ever go here. As a kid we lived right by it and after there were 2 shootings in a month we stopped going. It's not much better these days. Last time i rode my bike by two homeless men were getting in a shoving match
My Rating: 1

Don't go to this park unless you have no other choice. My daughter and I went to "Together in the park" at this park and she got hand, foot and mouth disease. It was horrible...very unclean park.
My Rating: 1

The photos on this page are OLD. There has been a big PUSH to get this park cleaned up. It's a lot cleaner and now that they have redone the cool play equipment (big rocks for climbing, fun swings) and repaved the basketball court, many more kids here than used to be. The homeless (with the untuned guitar!!) are a bother and I wish they'd take off but it doesn't deter me from taking my son and daughter there. Evening family soccer games are starting up (Spring) and morning exercise classes are held on the grass.
My Rating: 3

I visited just recently(July'09) during midweek in the afternoon. It was clean, and there were no homeless people. Just families enjoying themselves. Nice to have shade. Not a big fan of woodchips though.
My Rating: 3