Glassell Park Recreation Center

Nice clean gym! I’ve been coming here to play dodgeball on Sunday afternoons. The bathrooms are surprisingly clean and well stocked with supplies. During the summer, the park gets pretty crowded with swimmers and softball players so parking can be challenging. Otherwise a pretty decent rec center.

I played basketball on their indoor court last friday and was impressed. The facility is clean and the wood floors are in really nice condition. To top it off, it doesn’t cost money to use the facilities. The only negatives might be the location and that they close at 8:45pm (on fridays).
PARKING:
Parking lot and street. Parking wasn’t a problem when I went but I can see it being tough when it’s busy.

Love Glassell Rec Center! I’m here every week for dodgeball and always appreciate how clean and well respected the area is. They offer lots of kids classes (both after school programs and evening sports/​activities) as well as hosts «rec hours» for an older crowd later in the evening. Lots of activities that are all very well planned out in my experience.
Outside offerings: pool, baseball and soccer fields with seating
Inside: basketball court (orrrr dodgeball if the mood strikes you), bathrooms which are always clean and well stocked, rec center office and small waiting area
Recently (~2 weeks ago) they completely redid the gym floor, and we’ve all been luxuriating in the shiny, clean, new stepping ground!
Lots of parking available in the attached lot and, if needed, nearby street spots

Okay so yeah it’s a little used up here and there. Yeah, you see some of the homies from the area with their kids, on occasions. Yeah, the bathroom is blah (what park is immaculate?!) Oh yeah, the parking is HORRIBLE sometimes. BUT, with all the gentrification going on in Nela. I’m seeing a lot more diverse people these days, through the years.
My daughter has been playing sports here since she can hit a ball. That’s one of the good things that kind of has me overlooking the little distractions this park can have.
They have affordable sport programs along with many different programs.
Comparing this park from the parks surrounding NELA. It fits the affordability (I seek as a single parent), safety, needs and convenience from my house. It’s perfect. It’s not as ghetto as parks can really be. Like El Sereno park, now, I wouldn’t step out of my car there. gangsta and little knuckle heads galore!!! Cypress park, now that’s the hood too. Griffth park is cool, but, only has programs for boys. Elysian park, only for boys programs. Highland Park, more used up and in a sketchy’er part! Eagle Rock, ideal yes, has great programs, double the money and distance though.
Glassell Park, like 5% knuckle heads, families, people giving lessons, kids playing sports, hot dog lady, raspados/​elotes man and ghetto ice cream trucks. The parents I come across have been great. My daughter’s coach this year is pretty good. They offer free sports program during summer, only basketball and softball.
In my eyes Glassell Park is not so bad and believe me, I’m always looking at the things that can be a little on the hood/​ghetto side and the people that my daughter associates with. Overall, good sports program, Olympic size pool, little soccer field, tennis courts, 4 or 5 baseball diamonds, freshly buffed indoor basketball court, work-​out type of contraptions, running path and a pretty decent atmosphere.

Amazing and unused this park is great. Tennis courts free weight machines swimming pools two baseball diamonds open always two soccer fields one large one small a running track and an indoor rec center. That is all

Ghetto! There are a lot of trouble makers. For your on safety do not go there. The lifeguards are just trying to find a men, they are not there for our safety. The park is dirty, the playground is not exciting for kids, it’s just a playground. Don’t go. I’m telling you…

Play dodgeball to help the needy.

Tennis courts are lit till about ⁹⁄₁₀. Bathroom’s are filthy dirty, but if you must, better than it being a port-​a-​potty? Parking is tough weekend mornings, but there’s plenty of street parking if need be. Vendors are here with durros, candy & fruit. Oh, there’s a pool that was recently filled with water (they drain it out during the winter, although I’m surprised they filled it up so early already). And you can rent the gym out if you need anything, there’s a small fee involved (I think I used to pay $ 30 for two hours?). Like Peter, the boys spent so much time here weekend mornings playing ball. Even when fiancé & I first started dating I would come and watch him & the boys play here. Great park to build memories at. Oh, and when the fields are being used feel free to bring the dogs here (just please bring doggie bags)!

Balled up here growing up. Earned my stripes. Ran all day into the evening on the dusty, outdoor courts. We’d play until the rim disappeared into the dusk. The indoor basketball gym was occupied with other events, sometimes: Senior citizens would have banquets, there would be league games and one time, they had indoor soccer…**sigh**. Probably one of the reasons why the floor was ridiculously tore up, dirty and nasty. I remember when they had a thin, brown (not sure if it’s the original color) carpet instead of standard hardwood. Of course, it was an oven during the summers. Minor gang activity and typical brawls were part of the landscape — nothing unusual.
I play at some pretty swanky gyms nowadays. Lots of cool AC. Floors so shiny and pristine you can eat off of, but GP will always be home. Until we meet again, my friend.

This is the place that puts the «park» in Glassell Park… literally.
I spent many days at this park growing up, and I’ve seen it change, when they built the new rec center building or whatever and moved the playground and put in a new soccer field.
It’s a good, solid park. There’s plenty to do, play tennis, soccer, baseball at one of the several diamonds, have a picnic, or go swimming at the pool during the summer. I almost feel like they’re trying to fit too much into the park; it could use more open, grassy space instead of all the buildings. Oh well, I’ll still love you, Glassell Park.