Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Do you want an outdoor gym in Finsbury Park?
Haringey have just asked us (the Friends of Finsbury Park) for an opinion on their proposal to put an outdoor gym in the American Gardens, near the small play area.
Is this a good idea?
Is it the right location?
Opinion amogst our committee was divided between "yes it's a great idea" and "no, it will spoil the area and encourage agressive men with large dogs" so what do you think?
The American Gardens are the bit of the park adjacent to Endymion Road between the Vehicle Gate and the New River, ie the Harringay bit.
An outdoor gym is a collection of play/exercise equipment for grown ups; apparently the children's play area is currently being used as exercise equipment.
Is this a good idea?
Is it the right location?
Opinion amogst our committee was divided between "yes it's a great idea" and "no, it will spoil the area and encourage agressive men with large dogs" so what do you think?
The American Gardens are the bit of the park adjacent to Endymion Road between the Vehicle Gate and the New River, ie the Harringay bit.
An outdoor gym is a collection of play/exercise equipment for grown ups; apparently the children's play area is currently being used as exercise equipment.
Tags for Forum Posts: adizone, consultation
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GillianM on
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I would definitely use it and I am not an aggressive man with a large dog! I have used the play equipment down by the river to exercise in the past. That area is more pleasant than the tennis court area as somwehere to exercise and I don't particularly understand concerns about the visual effects of it - in my experience this is wooden equipment with minimal metal and plastic. There are so many people that run in the park that I think it would be really popular.
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Permalink Reply by Chris brock on
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Personally I'd like to keep the American Gardens as they are - I'm not a massive fan of outdoor gyms, to me they are more Venice Beach than Finsbury Park, but if there is enough demand then the area by the basketball courts seems very sensible
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Permalink Reply by Judith Box on
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I think it's a great idea. It's good to see initiatives that promote health and well being, and offer people a chance to channel excess energys in a postive manner.
If the local 'yoof' are encouraged to let of steam through exercise all the better for the community.
I also think it's good for thse things to be in the public domain - as they create a sense of people looking after themselves and provides good role models to our children about what what being active and healthy actually looks like.
I think our local parks and green areas are ideal exercising grounds for the local community - and I would like to see more local schools encouraged to use the open spaces. London schools lack good exercise facilities for their pupils - but they almost all have access to open/green spaces - if only they were more creative about how they could use these we could encourage and foster the idea that exercise is a vital part of everyday life.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Price on
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I think these are a really good idea - I am neither aggressive, nor a man, nor do I have a large dog. If visible from the road, perhaps more people are likely to see an outdoor gym and therefore use it. I was wondering when Haringey was going to get with the programme and catch up with other boroughs who have been offering these in parks (for all ages!) for some time. For purely selfish reasons - (ie this is the part of the park nearest where I enter it) I would be really happy for it to be situated in the American Gardens.
Thanks for asking for views
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Permalink Reply by Adele Prince on
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Yes, I think it is a good idea. I have been in the small play area with my little boy and have had to endure the grunting of exercising chaps doing chin-ups and so on with the play area equipment, very inventive, but not what it's meant to be used for!
Its success does depend on what is in the outdoor gym, if it is like the one near Wood Green, then it probably won't be used very much; I've never seen anyone in there.
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Anne, is this by any chance yet another of those Adidas adiZone Olympic logo things, designed to give Adidas 20 years of 'legacy' advertising ? Is that why it needs to be within clear view of Endymion Road? If so, it's a worse idea than the McBridge ad.
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Permalink Reply by Yvonne on
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I think it is a great idea. I too am not an aggressive man and do not have a dog.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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But would you use it if there was a man there with an aggressive dog?
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Permalink Reply by OneWomanAndHerDog on
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Personally I find it disheartening that after so much money was spent on removing ugly accretions and restoring the Park's beauty Haringey Council seem so intent on building whatever ill-conceived monstrosities come to mind with little regard for good design, appropriateness of location or sensitivity to the surroundings.
First it was the additional paving and dog compound (both rectilinear, concrete slabbed) by the new (curvelinear, limestone paved) cafe; now this.
Surely a simpler solution would be to have a Park Ranger who asks people to stop using the play equipment as a gym and for all park users to be considerate of other park users.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Here's a story just published in The Journal about fears over a simillar initiative up near Ally Pally.
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In principle I think outdoor gyms are a great idea - so I say yes. Encourage people to excercise. People take their kids to the park and they get a workout on the play equipment, but the adults sit and do nothing. Why not use that time to work up a sweat. Which makes me think, why not put the gym next to the playground? That way parents can excercise whilst keeping half an eye on the kids.
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As has been pointed out, this is just free advertising for Adidas and the council are getting a kick-back (probably). That's why it needs to be near a road.
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