This post is part of a series photographing and reviewing playgrounds and parks in the Boston Metro Area; playgrounds and parks are an important part of the infrastructure that promotes healthy early childhood development; they should be celebrated and invested in to support young children and their families. So far, we have looked at:

1. Perkins School For The Blind’s Playground (Watertown)

2. Pat and Gabriel Farren Playground (Watertown)

3. Transportation Children Center’s Playground (Boston)

4. Irving Park (Watertown)

5. Smith Playground in Allston

6. Watertown’s 552 Main St Playground

7. Mother’s Rest Playground along The Muddy River (Boston)

8. Clifford Playground (Boston)

9. Dorothy Curran Playground at Joe Moakley Park (South Boston)

10. Martin Richard’s Part at The Smith Family Waterfront (Boston)

11. Filippello Playground (Watertown)

12: Artesani Playground (Brighton/Along Charles River)

13. Lowell Playground in Waltham

14: Bemis Playground (Watertown)

15. Beaver Brook Reservation Playground (Belmont)

16. Stanley A. Ringer Playground (Allston)

17. Sekler Playground (Cambridge)

18. Lawton Playground (Brookline)

19. Richard J. Forte Memorial Playground and Park (Newton MA)

20. Stearns Park Playground (Newton)

21. Bell Watertown Apartments Playground

22. Charlesbank Park a.k.a. Nonantum Place Playground In Newton

This post will focus on Casey (W.O. James P.) Park in Watertown. Casey (W.O. James P.) Park is named in honor of James P Casey (1946-1969). Casey during the Vietnam War. Casey was from Watertown and had the rank of Warrant Officer. His military occupation or specialty was Helicopter Pilot. Service number assignment was 3162410. Attached to 4th Infantry Division, Headquarters Battery Div Arty.

During his service in the Vietnam War, Army Warrant Officer Casey experienced a traumatic event which ultimately resulted in loss of life on May 18, 1969. In South Vietnam, Pleiku province.”

The park has a variety of amenities including playgrounds, swings, Little League Baseball fields, soccer fields, 2 Basketball courts, soccer field, picnic tables, water fountains and more. The Basketball Courts are some of the most well maintained in the area and are often used by rec leagues. Former Boston Celtic Terry Rozier could often be found at these courts especially at the annual Mobar Classic Basketball Tournament when he lived in Watertown and However, there are 2 features that make Casey Playground unique. The first is the Hockey rink which is a relatively recent addition to the park in 2014 which is used can be used for Street Hockey in the Summer but in the Winter is turned into an Ice Rink for outdoor Ice Hockey. This is a feature that is not common in most park and play spaces in the area. The second unique feature is the hill at the end of the field next. The hill has been a place for children to go sledding for generations. Casey Playground sits next to the old Parker Elementary School. “The Parker School was built in 1914 and the architect was Arthur Gray. The school was sold by the town in 1986” and is now home to a variety of businesses. The playground at the park itself features a few different slides and a spongey blue surface to cushion any falls. Check out photos below.