The Syracuse Parks Department is marking a century of operation this year, and WAER News has spent the past few weeks profiling some of the city’s most unique green spaces. In this final installment, Scott Willis visits perhaps one of the largest hidden gems on the city’s southwestern edge…Elmwood Park.
Former common councilor Bob Dougherty’s first memories of the 65-acre park go back to playing little league in the 1960’s…
"I knew about it because of the baseball field, and then friends of mine actually worked here for parks and rec[reation] in the summer, because they had parks and rec programs here like they had in a lot of places."
I joined Dougherty for a tour, and it’s clear the heart and beauty of Elmwood’s entire length is defined by Furnace Brook, which has carved the deep, tree-filled glen between two neighborhoods.
"Right here, I would say that you have no idea that you're in the city of Syracuse. All you can hear is the water. This is why people have called this the grand canyon of Syracuse."
He says until about 15 years ago, the park’s central feature was almost invisible…
"The park was just about completely overgrown. You couldn't see the water, you couldn't see the bridges."
Now, access to the chilly, spring fed brook is one of Elmwood’s main attractions, especially on a hot summer day…these kids were on a class trip.
"Hello. If you wonder why we're wet, we hopped in the water," one of the children told us.
"You're smart," Dougherty replied. "The water is nice and warm, isn't it?"
"No! It's cold, it's ice cold!" the children answered emphatically.
But what also makes the park unique is its upper trails, accessed by any number of depression-era stone staircases. The wooded trails are ideal for an avid mountain biker like Dougherty, who has ridden through the park for 30 years. But for many, he says, the park simply serves as a short cut to and from Corcoran High School…or to skip school…
"I don't know that the kids who cut through here appreciate it. To them, it just exists. They probably wish it was a little shorter.
But in what seems like no time, we’ve walked the equivalent of Glenwood Ave. from about South Ave. to Geddes Street…
"It is just amazing to come from the entrance to the park and now we're behind Corcoran High School," this reporter observed.
Dougherty says visitors often can’t believe the high school was built near the brook…
"One of my kids was playing football for Corcoran, and we were sitting by some people from Rome. They said, "wow, look at this!' When you think city high school, you don't think of a beautiful setting."
But he says beauty of the park seems to go unnoticed even by neighborhood residents. Dougherty understands why some might be put off by the entrances…
"On either side of the entrance, there's a vacant house. Yes, it makes it look dumpy. That's probably why people have a bad feeling about Elmwood Park. I think they definitely have safety concerns about it."
He says during and since his time on the council, he’s pushed the city and land bank to take over the vacant houses, tear them down, and annex the property. But Dougherty realizes the city has more pressing financial issues that he says puts the parks at risk. During our tour, it was clear many of the stone walls, staircases, and other features that define the park are in need of repair, and Dougherty says that’s why he wants to see a consolidation of the city parks department with the county...
"They've got the budget to improve things like this. Clearly, as I've been pointing out, these things are falling apart, and I don't know how much longer they're going to be here with erosion and vandalism. Parks would be a place where if we combine with the county we could maintain them so 20 years from now, someone else could take a walk through here, and these school kids could have their school picnic here, too."
