If only every neighborhood had pocket parks like Caraleigh Park. Despite needing some TLC, it offers a quick recreational outlet to folks in the nearby neighborhood.
Caraleigh Park is located at 110 Maywood Ave, just south of Downtown Raleigh and East of South Saunders St (not to be confused with the private Caraleigh Mills park on the west side of South Saunders St). It is also only a short walk from Eliza Pool Park. Being a neighborhood park, most of the traffic is probably pedestrian, so if you’re travelling by car, plan to park along the street.
Your first impression of the park is that it’s in dire need of some love. The chain-link fence around the basketball courts is rusted, the random piles of bricks are out of place, and the landscaping and grassy field need some pruning and fertilizer. However, in the middle of all this is a fun, safe, and small neighborhood playground. Sitting atop the sandy surface is a large jungle gym with a slide and monkey bars. There are teeter totters for rocking on and a digger for moving sand around. Down from the playground area is a paved path to the picnic table. Next to the playground is a fenced-in pair of basketball courts that are in good shape.
Caraleigh Park also has a small open field that could be used for pick-up recreation games.
Thumbs up: playground area, small open field
Thumbs down: stairs-only access to park, run-down landscaping and fencing around basketball courts, lack of park sign