Parque del Retiro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parque del Retiro(Retirement Park) |
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Logo of Parque del Retiro in Barrio Canas Urbano
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| Type | Passive park |
| Location | PR-123/Villa Street, Clausells sector, Barrio Canas Urbano, in Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Area | approx 4 cuerdas |
| Created | 1980 |
| Operated by | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
| Status | Open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm |
Parque del Retiro (which means "Retirement Park" in English) is a unique park in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's the only park made especially for senior citizens, giving them a calm place to relax and spend time. The park is found in the Canas Urbano neighborhood. It celebrated its 30th anniversary on February 11, 2010. Around 70 senior citizens visit the park regularly, and some are even over 90 years old! Roberto Castro Franceschi is the park's manager.
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Where is Parque del Retiro?
This special park is located on Villa Street in the Canas Urbano area of Ponce. It sits between the Clausells and Baldorioty parts of the neighborhood. The area around the park has both homes and businesses, and it's near the city road PR-123. The park is a peaceful spot with many beautiful trees. You can find mahogany, avocado, almond, lemon, and flamboyán trees there. The park is run by the Ponce city government and is just for older adults in the city.
How the Park Started
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Back in the late 1960s, the area where the park now stands was just an empty city lot. It had many tall trees, which offered great shade. Senior citizens from the neighborhood started coming to this empty lot in the afternoons. They enjoyed the cool shade and chatting with their friends.
Over time, these seniors began bringing chairs from home to make their visits more comfortable. Soon, tables also appeared, making it possible for them to play games like dominoes. The domino games became a regular daily event. The seniors had basically "adopted" this empty government lot for their daily get-togethers and games. The games became so popular that domino tournaments were held there! People even started calling the spot "Las Vegas" because it had many outdoor tables for games.
Seeing how much the seniors loved this gathering place, the city decided to improve it. They built permanent concrete tables and chairs, added flower gardens with walking paths, and even built restrooms. The park officially opened in 1980, when José G. Tormos Vega was the mayor.
A Community Center for Seniors
Parque del Retiro is more than just a park; it's also a community center for senior citizens. Inside the park, there are offices for the non-profit group that helps run it. This group has a team of eight people, including a social worker, a nurse, and a recreation leader.
The park offers many free services to its senior visitors, such as:
- Health clinics with doctors.
- Rides with escorts to medical appointments.
- Special exercise and physical education programs, including walks in other city parks.
- Guided cultural day trips to interesting places outside of Ponce.
- Weekend trips to island beaches during the summer.
- Celebrations for holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Holy Week, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.
- Social visits to other similar groups around the island.
- Domino tournaments where seniors can play against local schoolchildren.
- Talent shows and educational talks designed for senior citizens.
Helping the Environment
In November 2009, Parque del Retiro was chosen for a special tree-planting project. This effort was supported by Telemundo, Doral Bank, and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico. It helped make the park even greener and more beautiful.
