Touch Grass: Berkeley Park

This column has covered many parks near Reed, and Berkeley Park is the last of these within easy walking distance. While the small park has just under six and a half acres, Berkeley is perfect for anyone in need of a sports area, with tennis courts, a baseball field, soccer field, softball field, and a horseshoe pit to boot, according to its section on the Portland.gov website. While the website stipulates dogs must be on-leash at all times, Berkeley is still a good area for walking dogs, with large stretches of grass. The park’s play structure is relatively new and well-maintained, and if no children are present, the seated seesaw is the perfect setting to imagine a horse-drawn carriage, perhaps in a universe where the wheel was invented as a hexagon. 

Berkeley Park was “purchased as part of a 20-acre neighborhood tract in 1941 with funds from a 1938 tax levy. Housing was developed except for a 6.5 acre tract which was designated for a potential park,” per the park’s section on the Portland.gov website. After some back and forth, the land eventually became Berkeley Park. 

One of the most notable features of the park is the tennis courts, which were dedicated on July 27 2014. According to the Portland.gov website, “the Alex Rovello Memorial Courts are the result of the efforts of Alex’s parents, Geri and Jim Rovello, who lost their son in a tragic accident in spring 2013. Alex learned to play tennis at the age of two at Berkeley Park.” Rovello went on to play tennis throughout his schooling, making the courts a fitting tribute.

Berkeley Park includes an accessible restroom, though when the park was visited for this column, the restrooms had signage on them stating “Closed for the season.” There are also paved paths in the park, and a picnic table. Street parking is ample on the many side streets in the surrounding neighborhood. The drive to the park would take just two minutes from Reed, with the walk being a mere 14 minutes, with no obvious public transit route available. While it is certainly far from the most flashy local park, Berkeley Park is still a spot of open green and a welcome moment of calm in the world. To learn more, visit its page on the Portland.gov website. So, go out and touch grass in Berkeley Park!

Note: Last week’s edition of Touch Grass, “Touch Grass: Redwood National and State Parks” was mistakenly left out of the print edition, but is available on the Quest website.