Breish Hikes the Borough to Visit Every Lansdale Park

Bruce Schwartz•

10.83 miles. 4:02 hours. 21,300 steps. And 21 of Lansdale's parks.

All of 'em.

Those stats were posted this weekend by the man who is probably the best friend of the borough’s parks. William "BJ” Breish, who started the Facebook group Friends of Lansdale Parks last fall (and currently is also a Borough Council member), had a singular goal: To hike the town, end-to-end, to visit every park in the system.

So early Saturday he set out from Stop #1, Railroad Plaza. Some four hours later he circled back after having reached Stop #21, Wedgewood Park. By journey’s end he was thirsty, drenched with sweat — and filled with a sense of achievement.

Why walk them all?

"Why not?" says Breish. "I love the parks, I love being outdoors and meeting new, friendly faces. I also thought it might be nice to hold an event with no purpose other than ‘to be.’ Not to take away from other walks, runs, and meaningful activities, whether to support a cause or raise awareness — but sometimes can't we just walk, just because?”

While he hiked most of the circuit solo, he met several enthusiastic parks fans along the way. And, appropriately for the man who has arranged numerous volunteer cleanup days, at the end of the journey he came across a youth group from Bridge Community Church, led by youth pastor Matt Robinson, cleaning up Wedgewood Park as a pubic service project.

With this Saturday’s Founders Day focusing on Lansdale’s parks, Breish thinks it's a good time to ask ourselves whether we’re getting the most out of our greenest, most precious public spaces. His overall message to the community: "What do we value in our parks system, and are we best utilizing our space to achieve those values?”

Brief notes from Breish on his travels:

Railroad Plaza. "The heart of Lansdale, a great place to grab lunch-to-go from a local store, enjoy an outside meal at one of the many tables, and watch Life in Motion."
York & Susquehanna Park. "A beloved pocket park with a wonderful playground. It’s a neighborhood retreat and gathering place that is less known by those not living in close proximity. You won’t find it unless you are looking."
Whites Road Pool and Park. "Likely the best known among the Lansdale Parks, it has a wonderful walking/running loop offering shade and beautiful wooded scenery. The playground is a shell of its former self, as equipment is removed to make way for what hopefully someday will be a fully inclusive and accessible playground.”
Jackson Street Park. "Some may not call this a ‘park’ as it’s really just a small open space abutting the Stony Creek freight line. However, as one resident attested along my route, it is loved by those living in close proximity and a haven in the neighborhood for dogs who enjoy an easy walk and retreat from home. For the more adventurous, there are walking trails from here to Stony Creek Park.”
Stony Creek Park. "My favorite park! It’s in my backyard. I started bringing my daughter here, and she calls it ‘her park.’I really take that to heart when I think about protecting this space. She calls the trail that goes back to the woods ‘the jungle,’ and you kind of feel like you’re in a jungle back there. There’s always something to see; we often run into deer or other wildlife.”
Church Road Park. "Maybe we’ll call this the mystery park, because I'm not sure where it is or how to access it. I’d caution anyone interested in seeking it out that the map takes you to a plot of open space that could easily be mistaken as an extension of the neighbors’ backyards.”
Cherry Street and Willow Street Parks. "They appear to be the same large open space; however, if you set out seeking Cherry Street you may be a bit confused. At first glance it doesn't look like there’s any park on Cherry Street, and there are no signs. Walking into the park feels like you are walking onto someone’s property. Willow Street has signs, and a community garden that welcomes you and opens to a huge open space. I sense that most folks are unaware of the community garden, but there's certainly plenty of space and sun here.”
Adams Avenue Park. "A secret trail to nowhere, this strange hidden locale also could be easily confused as someone’s backyard. It seems to dead-end at the creek, where you are greeted by an old concrete wall covered in graffiti."
Hancock Street Park. "A nice big open space. It’s a bit deceiving from the street, but once you go back into the park, it opens up onto a big field. You can also grill and use the picnic tables here.”
Laurel Lane and Oakland Avenue Parks. "On the Lansdale Parks & Rec website it shows Laurel Lane and the adjoining Oakland as huge! But in person it’s nothing more than a lot of woodland and a pumping station.”
Wissahickon Park. "This is a cool walking park. I love the trail, and the traditional-style light poles add character. I feel safe and secluded here; although you are walking through the woods and enjoying nature, it’s visible to the surrounding community so you don’t get a sense that you’re on your own. I also love all the wildflowers and pollinator activity.”
Hidden Valley Park. "Another one of my favorite parks. I don’t know why exactly, but perhaps it’s because it is truly ‘hidden,’ a secret for explorers to discover.”
Parks & Rec Office. "Not really a park. But stop by here to meet the park staff; they would love to meet you.”
Fourth Street Pool and Park. "A great park for kids! A playground, pools, a bathroom, and plenty of room to stretch your legs. There’s even a book swap bin so you can grab something new to read in the park. Perhaps we should add these bins to more parks.”
Memorial Park. "The gateway to Lansdale and a community meeting place to remember our heroes. The banners throughout the park add a great touch.”
West Fifth Street Park. "Home of the Cannoneers, but a park for everyone. There’s also a nice fenced-in playground here. I get the impression not everyone is aware of this one.”
Moyers Road and Schweiker Parks. "Great baseball and recreation parks. These get a lot of use by local groups and leagues.”
Wedgewood Park. "One of our best-kept secrets, and the biggest, newest-looking playground set I’ve seen in the parks system. There’s also a neat skate park set up back here, that was definitely a beloved hang out by an organized, determined group of kids. Upon visiting, I got the sense that this group of kids perhaps has grown up and moved or otherwise ‘started their lives.’ It doesn’t seem like anyone is keeping up their legacy with this space — or perhaps everyone is holding out for the new Fourth Street skate park.”

Editor’s note: Portions of this story were adapted from an article in the Summer/Fall issue of Discover Lansdale Magazine. For more on Lansdale's Parks, visit www.discoverlansdale.org. Bruce Schwartz is editor of Discover Lansdale Magazine.