Steve Cox Memorial Park — Attraction in White Center

I'm commenting on a previous review about the homeless people in this park being a danger to children. Children should of course think safety first with any stranger. That being said, I worked this park for 2 years. Parks staff is on premise by 8am at which point the homeless and any messes are immediately dealt with with kindness and compassion. I made many friends within the homeless community around this park. They watched my back while I worked, they reported theft and helped in recovery saving taxpayers a few thousand in picnic tables alone, and they have some interesting stories to tell. They are heavily involved with the church program across the street and are good people for the most part. Don't judge the book by the cover. Treat them like anyone else and they'll have you and your children's backs as well. There is also a full time parks worker Monday-Friday in the recreation building who is monitoring the going ins in the park. I was much more concerned with the teenage youth and gang related issues in White Center and this is not an issue in daylight hours in this park. Just wanted to share my experience...

The playground equipment is amazing for any age walking on up, this park is used by kids that speak both English and Spanish. You get good and bad days like at most parks depends on what families show up and if there's locals getting drunk or high because its a public park. Cops post up in the parking lot often when they're not responding to calls so the worst of the area doesn't tend to stay for long. The bathrooms are closed watch out for the two port a potty's most kids are better off popping a squat outside then using those. They have an under cover picnic bench/BBQ area, a tennis court,basketball area, baseball diamond and youth center for after school also across the street towards Roxbury is a duck pond the kids can take a stroll through it has a fence to keep little ones safe...

There were kids playing cool music and basketball at a reasonably enjoyable level. Everyone seemed to be getting along. The police rolled through once to make their presence known for some reason and kept going without harassing anyone needlessly so that was nice. The bathrooms are the greatest large enough to not feel chlostrophobic in and have near fluorescent uv lights. Large enough to accommodate my extra large service dog inside plus a caregiver if needed. There was no soap or hand sanitizer however. It was the end of the day so I hope that would be refilled in the morning. At least the toilet paper was there. That is the most important and there didn't seem to have been anyone to leave behind any messes anywhere...