Down at Palisades Park Again

Laurie Cohn

Mirror Contributing Writer

   Our beloved park is back. After what seemed like an eternity, but was in actuality less than a year, the fences are down and Palisades Park is back. 
   I went down to the park the day after it opened, and in a way, it was though it had never closed. Joggers ran by pulling their dogs, elderly couples walked hand in hand, and mothers pushing strollers were talking to their babies. I had work to do, and needed a quiet place to sit. Since the library was closed, and I had to be out of my house for a few hours, I thought the newly opened park would be the perfect place to work for a while. 
   There were so many new benches to choose from, I couldn’t decide at first. I like the new benches for several reasons. First, the backs are more fitted to the natural shape of the back which makes them much more comfortable. Second, they face different directions, which gives you an option of which way to look. Personally, I like to look at the water, but away from the sun, and there was the perfect bench waiting for me, right next to an old palm tree. As I sat down, I thought how I might be the first person to sit on the new bench, and how my tush was the first in a long line of tushes that would eventually spend time on that particular bench. So many tushes with so many unique stories.
   I pulled out my paperwork and began working...for a while. Every few minutes, I would look up from my work at the blue, calm water and appreciate this lovely mock office I had made for myself. It sure beat slaving away at an indoor cubicle. 
   The new dirt paths are well laid out, the foliage manicured, and the new palm trees a pleasant addition. Wheelchairs easily managed the terrain, and the occupants of the chairs out that morning were obviously enjoying the lovely, sunny day.
   There were a lot of people strolling for a weekday morning. Most were just walking along as though they had been there the day before, not many months ago. I could catch bits of conversations as people passed by -- English here, Russian there, and that made me realize how much I had missed the park. 
   Sundays in particular at Palisades Park have been an international event for as long as I can remember. Families, including babies and grandparents, sit under trees eating and playing cards while squealing children run around chasing balls. So much joy on that grass. Since construction began last fall and put a temporary end to all the fun, the squirrels have had free reign of the place. All we humans could do was look through the fences and sigh, dreaming about the day it would be ours again. 
   I have lots of great memories of the park. Family picnics when my oldest niece was barely talking and my grandmother was still alive. Dates that ended with an important discussion about this or that while looking into the vast black void of the nighttime ocean. Lots of fun, brisk walks with my mother. And many hours of contemplating life while just staring at the sand and the sea. 
   I get so excited whenever Palisades Park in a movie. I saw Billy Crystal’s “Forget Paris” in Brooklyn with my aunt Julie and kept poking her, saying “I live near there and that’s where I walk.” When “The Truth About Cats and Dogs” came out, I was able to explain to my non-Santa Monican friends the time of day and year those Palisades Park scenes were shot. “You see,” I pontificated, “At certain times of the year the sun sets behind the mountains, but at other times it sets on the ocean.” They listened politely, but were more concerned with where we were going for dinner than my useless facts. 
   Where did everyone go when the park was closed? It’s hard to top Palisades Park, with its lush surroundings and natural beauty. Sure there are many nice parks scattered throughout our fair city, but none that are as exquisite as being high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Maybe some folks stayed inside, on patios, or in backyards instead of trekking to a far-away or unfamiliar park. 
   Well, wherever everyone has been, it’s sure nice to see them out of hibernation and enjoying the park again. If you haven’t been by since the re-opening, grab a friend and some walking shoes, and come on down. You won’t be disappointed.