I'm visiting, rating, and ranking as many of Portland's 279 parks as I can. Check out the introduction and rubric. You can also check out the map and rankings here.
Photo from Portland Parks and Rec website.
Part 6 and 7: Ed Benedict Park and the Portland Memory Garden
Date Visited: 4/21/2022
Visitors: Alex and Kita
Distance Walked: 1.95 miles
For the first time on my quest to rank every park in Portland, Oregon, I visited two parks in the same walk. The parks nearly touch each other, as they are separated by just a single residential street.
Ed Benedict Park opened in 1988, and the Portland Memory Garden was dedicated in 2002.
The Memory Garden is built inside of Ed Benedict. The Memory Garden will have a low score when using the rubric I made as a grading standard, but the score I give it is a poor representation of what this park has to offer. The space was dedicated in 2002 as a place for people suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory issues, as well as caretakers, to find respite. It is a small park-within-a-park, and so using the same rubric, it suffers in that regard.
Dog-Friendliness: 3 (Ed Benedict), 1 (Memory Garden)
Ed Benedict is a 13-acre park on the north end of the Lents Neighborhood. There is a wide sidewalk that surrounds the park, making for a nice place to walk your dogs. You’ll find lots of dogs running in the soccer fields off-leash. Pet parents are warned, the signage says to keep your dogs on leash and you’re just south of the often-busy SW Powell Blvd.
As I stated in the intro for this ranking, the Memory Garden is not designed for your dog. And while dogs are technically allowed in the Garden, they’re not going to be very stimulated.
Also, BYOPB.
Kid-Friendliness: 5 (Ed Benedict), 1 (Memory Garden)
Ed Benedict Park has it all: a basketball court, a soccer field, a skatepark, two playgrounds, and plenty of benches to watch your kid play safely from. Even on a drizzly Thursday afternoon, there were people using all of these recreational offerings. There was even a kit who set up his own small volleyball net to work on his spike and returns with his dad.
The Memory Garden isn’t a place most kids are going to enjoy, but again, it's not designed for your child. It was hard to come to a rating for this park when comparing it to Ed Benedict. But luckily you can walk in and out of the Memory Garden at any time during operating park hours.
Walkability: 3.5 (Ed Benedict), 1 (Memory Garden)
A large park with a wide sidewalk makes Ed Benedict a fine place to walk for all ability levels. Dog walkers, fit sexagenarians, and parents with kids in strollers were aplenty when we visited.
The Memory Garden is much, much smaller and enclosed. It’s probably more of a courtyard than a park, with benches to sit, reflect, and enjoy the deliberate landscaping.
Scenery: 2 (Ed Benedict), 3 (Memory Garden)
SE Powell Blvd. and I-205 sit right along the park. While the park’s offerings are nice, loud traffic hums can be expected a lot of the time. To the North is Kelly Butte, which provides some nice tree cover, but at its base is a less-than-serine RV dealership.
Expect a similar traffic hum in the memory garden, but the landscaping is nice. According to the park’s website, the plants there mimic the natural flora of the seasons in the Pacific Northwest and are supposed to spark memories for those seeking comfort there.
Facilities: 3.5 (Ed Benedict), 3 (Memory Garden)
Ed Benedict can be reached by car or public transportation. There’s plenty of street parking and a small parking lot. There are a lot of spaces in the park that allow visitors to enjoy outdoor activities. And there is a bathroom facility there. (At the time of our visit though, there was a sign that said: “closed for vandalism.” They were locked and had porta-potties adjacent to them.
The memory garden is a courtyard that is designed to relax and reflect. Several benches line the park, and there is also a restroom here.
Overall Score: 17 (Ed Benedict), 9 (Memory Garden)
Ranking as of posting: 3 (out of 7 for Ed Benedict) and 6 (out of 7 for Portland Memory Garden)
What Portland park should we visit next?
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