Lisa Liu Grady: A Space to Grow

Lisa Liu Grady shares about how a nearby park turned into an opportunity to meet the community.

Six months ago, when I traded my house and yard for a downtown apartment, I thought I was downsizing. Now I understand I was upgrading my backyard.

Half a block away sits a 2.5-acre park, exactly one city block square. Each corner feels like a room in an open-air house, doors flung open wide from sunrise to sunset.

Mornings, I jog along the paved perimeter path that is dotted with benches and picnic tables—sometimes with my dog in tow–weaving through toddlers with their push toys and seniors steadying their walkers.

In one corner, I watch the playground hum. Kids clutch flattened cardboard, launching themselves down the cement slide with squeals of delight.

Another corner blooms as a community garden, bursting with kale, fragrant herbs, and native flowers. I’m still on the waiting list for a coveted plot, so I linger at the edges, chatting with green-thumbed growers about their gardening tips for when my turn comes.

The grassy center has its own gravitational pull. Amidst dogs at play, pop-up yoga and birthday parties, I find my own patch of sun at noon, lingering longer than planned, while putting aside my phone.

Near the entry park sign, there is a circular mini basketball court that transforms by the hour. Mornings bring seniors moving through slow, synchronized tai chi, while afternoons spark fierce one-on-one games. In between, children use the pavement as a horizontal canvas for chalk murals that fade by dusk.

At the south end, two towering redwoods anchor a beach volleyball court. On weekdays, pint-sized architects play with dump trucks in a sandy construction site. On weekends, I grab a seat on the grass and cheer as barefoot athletes dive for gravity-defying saves.

My park isn’t grand, but it is gloriously alive with laughter and life. There is room here for all ages and abilities to interact, say hello, and just be together. I thought I was shrinking my square footage. Instead, this shared space has expanded my world, giving me space to grow.

With a Perspective, I’m Lisa Liu Grady.

Lisa Liu Grady is a Bay Area writer who loves both stories and storytelling. She is at work on a memoir.