Opening Day at How Park in Watertown

Last Thursday, on September 17,  my wife, our daughter, and I headed over to How Park for its long-awaited grand opening. We'd been walking past the fenced off playground for months, and it was exciting to finally walk through the gate with everyone else in the neighborhood.

How Park sits at the corner of Pleasant and Bacon Streets on Watertown's and it's been a genuine community project from the start. Back in 2023, the city held an on-site meeting so residents could share ideas for an overall vision plan and a Phase 1 renovation of the playground, with additional meetings that fall and winter to refine the design based on public feedback. What we saw last week was clearly the product of all that input — colorful new play structures, thoughtful layout, and space that felt built for families.

The park's redesign didn't stop at the playground. Plans presented to the City Council last September also call for a new basketball court, upgrades to the dog park that's long been a neighborhood favorite, plus new seating and outdoor fitness areas in later phases. It's easy to see How Park becoming one of those all-ages gathering spots Watertown does so well.

City Council President Mark Sideris was on hand to speak at the opening, along with other city officials who've been closely involved in getting the project across the finish line. Standing there listening to the remarks, I found myself thinking about just how much Watertown has changed in recent years. This isn't an isolated project — the city has been on a real roll renovating parks and playgrounds and investing in schools, from the Arsenal Park to the Lowell Elementary playground to the brand-new, LEED Platinum Watertown High School. None of that happens by accident. A lot of it traces back to the city's growing tax base, fueled by an influx of biotech and green tech companies and major developments like Arsenal Yards, which have reshaped Watertown's commercial landscape and, in turn, given the city more room to reinvest in its parks and schools.

Watching my daughter run around the playground while making new friends it struck me how lucky we are to live somewhere that keeps putting resources back into spaces like this. How Park is a small patch of the city, but it says a lot about what Watertown is prioritizing right now and we can't wait to come back.