Letter from Fitler Square: A Bench Bears Witness to Life's Precious Moments
By Stacia Friedman
In 2020, when the neighborhood group Friends of Fitler Square Park invited neighbors to share their cherished Fitler Square memories for the #FitlerSquareParkMemory challenge, Leslie Williams was confident she had a story that would stand out.
That February, she posted this memory to the group’s Facebook page:
This is "our bench." My husband kissed me for the first time on this bench in 2016. It's also where he proposed to me in 2017. And in 2018, it's the spot where I told him I was pregnant.
Fitler Square Park is the setting for countless memories; it's part of who we are as a family. My daughter now plays on the turtles, but I can remember sleepily walking through the park with her in my arms when she was just days old as I wondered if I would ever sleep again. She said the word, "dog," for the first time here. We've made friends and enjoyed Good Karma bagel picnics under the trees. We've made plans for the future here. My phone has more photos taken in Fitler Square than any other place.
Yep, this is our bench, and Fitler Square Park is our park.
It was no surprise that Leslie won the challenge.
A native of Texas, Williams originally came to Philly in 2018 and received a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology at Temple University. Now on parental leave from her work in the Philadelphia Schools, she finds Fitler Square to be an ideal neighborhood for her young children, aged two and four.
‘We chose the Fitler Square neighborhood for its proximity to the Greenfield School at 22nd and Chestnut,” she told The Fitler Focus. But it is the community itself that continues to keep them here.
“I take my kids to Fitler Square and the Markward Playground in Schuylkill River Park everyday, even if it’s freezing,” said Williams. “It’s a beautiful green space. There are always families with kids the same age as mine and we know everyone there. Plus, they have activities for kids and adults like Bingo, a Lego Club and art classes.”
“Everybody is so friendly and we know all our neighbors,” she said. Besides activities in Fitler Square, Williams enjoys taking her children to the ballet at the Academy of Music and programs at the Kimmel Center. “We have memberships at the Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Science and the Free Library on the Parkway where we go for story hour and yoga for kids.”
If you have a special attachment to the Fitler neighborhood, we’d love to hear about it! Contact us at fitlerfocus@substack.com.
Love this!