Matthew C. Patterson Park — Attraction in Grosse Pointe Park

This park is a memorial park (hence the name), and was donated by the widow of Matthew C. Patterson as a passive park, in perpetuity. That originally meant, no lights, no buildings (except the restroom), and lots of space for kids to just run and play. It also provided a lot of habitat for local wildlife, that otherwise to longer exists in grosse pointe. At some point the city decided to ignore the wishes of the donor, and began actively managing it. They've added a boardwalk, that replaced and closed the natural shoreline, a reflecting pool/refrigerated ice-rink that replaced the small natural ice rink they used to maintain in the winter (kids used to play hockey on the small rink, but hockey is banned on the new rink), they built a large pump station for the city sewer separation project, but basements are getting flooded anyway, so it's not very effective, and the list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice park, but they took a big, open, quiet place where kids could use their imaginations, or play pickup sports, and they're slowly building it up more and more. It typical Grosse Pointe fashion, more is apparently always better, enough is...

My wife, kids, and I went to Gross Pointe for dinner at this nice restaurant, then after we wanted to take the kids to a nearby park in the area of the restaurant....I didnt know, but now I do, that ALL the parks in this area of Gross Pointe and Gross Pointe Farms like this Matthew Park are PRIVATE! They these parks had a gated entrance to the park and only residents can visit this park. Mind you, this is just another normal park with trees, a pool, a playground, nothing crazy fancy, again just another Michigan park, only "private". Let's just say, my family and I will never visit this racist city and its...

Mighty. Patterson Park is a small park with a lot of options. A lakeside park it has a boardwalk and personal craft launch. The views of Lake Saint Clair are magnificent. The park also offers picnic areas, restrooms, water pad, play structures and open spaces. But it doesn’t stop there; it also has a golf putting and chipping practice area, pickle ball courts, a dog run and an exercise course!! Did I mention free parking and a rentable facility? All you need is a park pass to get in for a small fee every year. I think my favorite thing was reflection pool which I also forgot to list...