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Community Corner

Park's Versatility Benefits Community Residents

Fox Hills Park provides options for fun in the sun, family sports and a comfortable place for a midday nap.

Park visitors will tell you Fox Hills Park is one of Culver City's best kept secrets.

Sitting atop a plateau overlooking Culver City's southernmost boundaries, including Interstate 405 and the Westfield Culver City Mall, the park is able to keep a low profile since it doesn't have a parking lot and is not visible from the street.

But once visitors find one of the few street parking spots and climb the small hill, they find that the 10-acre park is many things:

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Training Facility

David Singleton and his 11-year old son, by the same name, have been walking to Fox Hills Park almost every day for the last seven years. The father and son duo go over basketball drills and cardio exercises in the flat grassy field.

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But the Singletons aren't the only ones training at the park. As they arrived Sunday afternoon, a group of ultimate frisbee players finished up a speed training workout that included sprints and change-of-direction cone drills.

From marathoners training on the soft, sandy half-mile outer loop path to teenagers prepping for the fall football season, the elder Singleton said he sees a variety of people using the park to train.

Meeting Place

Santa Monica residents Staci and Stefanie Schlepp came to Fox Hills Park to meet friends that were training for a marathon, but they also brought their 3-year old, Nathan, to play in the small playground area.

"It's a really nice park," Staci said. "Unfortunately, the play area isn't necessarily set up for younger kids like Nathan."

The large open field areas and various sports courts make Fox Hills more of a teenager and adult park than one outfitted for children. 

Party Venue

Moon bounces make appearances from time to time to help young children celebrate birthdays. On a particular Sunday, young Joshua Salazar enjoyed his ninth birthday with a moon bounce and water balloons that his friends attempted to hit him with.

Nearby, the smell of family barbecues wafted from the small grilling pits around the perimeter of the grassy field.

Former Stomping Grounds

During the heyday of the "Showtime" Lakers, some of the older visitors say it wasn't uncommon to see Magic Johnson or James Worthy stop by to play a couple pick-up basketball games on the hardtop. The Forum—the Lakers' home arena in the 1980s and 1990s—is only four miles away, which made the park's basketball court a convenient stop for the famous players.

"It was about the only time the park would be inundated with people," said one middle-aged male park regular. "Otherwise, it's a pretty quiet and serene environment."

Playing Field

On the large, grassy knoll that covers the majority of the park, lines mark off three soccer fields. The park hosts youth soccer leagues for practices during the week and games on Saturdays, but the grassy area is used for a number of other playing fields.

On most Sundays, a group of young men play seven-on-seven flag football on one of the lined fields. The weekly contest draws out not only participants but also fans.

Beverly Animadu came from the downtown area with a small group of girls to watch some friends play.

"We get to come enjoy the sun and the breeze while watching our friends," Animadu said. "It's a real relaxing day."

The park also has a sand volleyball court, three tennis courts and four of the smaller paddle tennis courts where parents often teach their children the fundamentals of tennis.

Makeshift bed 

Rising up above the remainder of the landscape, the plateau is supplied by a near-constant breeze. Along with cooling the athletes, it also provides a moderate climate for some quiet reading or even a midday catnap. Some Culver City residents bring towels or sheets to lie in the grass and catch some rays.

Hard workers even slip away from the office at lunch to enjoy a little time lying in the shade of the trees. But they don't have to worry about getting seen by their bosses.  Fox Hills is, after all, one of the best kept secrets in Culver City.

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