West Roxbury Open Spaces and Urban Wilds
Having been a life-long resident of West Roxbury, one of the area’s amenities that I’ve always had a deep appreciation for is the amount of open space available to its’ residents. I’ve recently learned that West Roxbury, with 1,146 acres of total open space (both protected and unprotected), has more more open space than any other neighborhood of Boston. How much more? Lots! By the numbers, West Roxbury has nearly 23 acres of open space per thousand residents while the city-wide average is 7.5 acres per thousand. And considering the family orientation of this community, having as much open space available for recreational activities is a real asset.
So, where exactly is all this open space and how is it used?
The neighborhood itself is largely defined by the open spaces surrounding it. To the east are the MDC’s Stony Brook Reservation, Bellevue Hill, and West Roxbury Parkway. To the west are Millennium Park, a municipally owned urban wild at the West Roxbury High chool/Community Center, the MDC’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Parkway, Brook Farm, Havey Beach, and large private cemeteries. To the south are two more cemeteries and the West Roxbury Quarry urban wild. To the north is the Allandale Woods urban wild.
Of Play Lots and Fields
Another of West Roxbury’s open space attributes is the plethora of playing fields (e.g. baseball, soccer, football, etc) and play lots for younger children. Playing fields include: Praught, Draper, Billings and Hynes field as well as the many fields at Millennium Park all of which accomodate your typical array of outdoor American-style sporting activities. Additionally, the West Roxbury landscape is dotted with numerous playgrounds located at both public schools and parks, including: The Beethoven and Ohrenberger schools, and all the parks listed above.
For Adults and Nature Enthusiasts
West Roxbury has considerable resources available for walking/hiking, nature appreciation activities, and scenic enhancement. Substantial acreage is in a natural state: 680.05 protected and unprotected acres in West Roxbury. (Included in this acreage is the 8.9 acres of the Millennium Park riverside natural area, formerly the Municipal Shoreline urban wild, and the approximately 60 acres of the Millennium Park Meadow natural area along the slopes of this park.) Most of this acreage is protected. The largest unprotected parcels are the Roxbury Latin School natural area and the West Roxbury Quarry. Both have some acreage under the jurisdiction of the Wetlands Protection Act.
Over the coming weeks I intend to explore these open spaces and urban wilds in more detail. Since I don’t get out much, this will be a welcome change of scene 
Parkway Soccer Family Day at Millennium Park in West Roxbury–What a Blast!
What a fabulous time! The Parkway Youth Soccer League and the Parkway Family Day task force organizations really outdid themselves this year in a combined community-wide effort that resulted in a very successful Parkway Soccer Family Day this past Saturday, June 16Th at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, MA. 
So many families volunteered, local businesses donated food, pastries, and other give aways. There were pony rides, two (2) moonwalks, a duck pond toss, a theatre production, patriotic songs, trivia games, and The Boston Fire Department allowed children to play on and learn about the fire engines. The Parkway Idol Contest was a big hit as usual…and so much more!
A cookout included burgers, dogs, slush, popcorn, cotton candy and much more-all free! 
My kids, Paul and Sean, and my husband Tom had a blast. They bumped into lots of friends and relatives. Many local politicians were also there which gave people a chance to meet them on a more personal level.
I would like to thank all who had a hand in this fabulous day…each year it gets better and better. Keep up the good work!
West Roxbury, MA — Corrib Pub 5K Road Race
The Corrib Pub 5K Road Race in West Roxbury was held on Sunday, June 3rd, 2007. The
race is held annually and this was the 14th race. I was delighted when I woke up to a cool breeze in the low 60’s. This may not be a comfortable temperature for anyone planning cookouts or outdoor activities, but for a runner it was perfect. I try to do it each year the last two years my daughters have joined me in the run as well as many friends and neighbors. This year my colleague, Matt White, from C21 Carole White Associates joined me in the run. My husband, Frank, usually volunteers and was on hand with the camera to get a before and after shot of us.
The race is fun for me because it is my regular running route , 3 miles with one steep hill on Corey Street, and yes the rolling hills of Bellevue Hill seem unending when you are finishing your last mile. They have DJ Dave at the beginning who gets you motivated with the singing of the National Anthem, the fire trucks are present at the beginning and the American Flag drapes over us at the starting line. 
I understand this year they had over 1700 runners and lots of cheering on the rout–and water tables to help those of us that need a reason to stop along the way .
Oh, I am feeling my age this year and also a slower pace due to a longer sabbatical over the past year but as always I am determined to finish as friends and neighbors are cheering you on along the way. I speed up a little bit as I see people I know with a smile on my face and waving to everyone I know along the way! My daughter, Brianna who is 12 years old, is about 3/4 of a mile in front of me (oh, the youth of today…my other daughter, Shannon, 11 years old, is a few steps behind me.
There is a lot of support from the community and the Corrib Pub who supports many local charities and local youth organizations. They have raised over $510,000 from this event from which our community and children have benefited. It ’s great to see so many volunteers each year working hard to make it the success it is today. There is a complimentary cook-out afterward in Billings Field, with all the hamburgers and hot dogs you can eat, entertainment and children’s activities, a great day had by all and a few sore muscles afterward. To get more information their website is www.coolrunning.com. Thanks to all the volunteers and family and friends that cheered us on along the way.
See you next year!!!
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