Tongva Park

“The most beautiful urban park I have seen in Los Angeles. It’s not that big and it’s not that small. As I entered the park I noticed brightly colored structures that looked like sculptures. It wasn’t until I could make out that certain parts of the structures resembled things you’d see in a playground that I found out that indeed these structures were part of a playground. So, I think it’s incredibly cool that a playground could ever look like art. There are climbing gyms, rock climbing thingies, slides and more. The park has many paved paths and the vegetation and trees are harmonious with these paths. The park isn’t flat which makes it very interesting. There’s an amphitheater area. There are restrooms. I got a kick out of the fact that the gender silhouettes of the men’s and women’s sides aren’t the usual stick figure ones but rather more realistic silhouettes with interesting poses. I mean, you wonder why they made them so loose and free. They’re pretty random. Kind of weird. lol. There’s actually a park security attendant stationed by the restrooms. That there’s a security person on the grounds will give you an idea that the overall safety in the park can be dubious. There are also a few of these security personnel throughout the park. It’s a sad reminder that our society has gotten to the point where manifestations of socioeconomic injustices are present in a place designed for children and recreation. I didn’t see any children of course but it was a drizzly day. The park is named after the indigenous people that inhabited our immediate region. On one hand it’s good they are recognized, but you have to wonder what they feel about it and if they were consulted. This park definitely is a place to reflect on past, present and ongoing reminders that things of beauty cannot cover up the dark side of humanity. However, parks are places where nature is allowed to resist the concrete world around it and its defiance pays tribute to the cultures that preceded us which were better caretakers of the world around us. There are meters around the park.”

“Tongva park , This park Here in Santa Monica California has lots of native plants here and kids playground and no washrooms , its also a chilled park type , thier are rental scooters here , its got good viewing balconies on the upper park level overlooking Santa Monica beach ⛱️”

“The kids play area is pretty basic but has some interesting features, mainly for climbing and better suited for older kids. No traditional structures like swings or slides.”

“Pretty and pleasant park but a bedroom and living room for the homeless after dark. A shame that for a place as wealthy as Santa Monica, they cannot figure out a way to take care of the less fortunate.”