Have you been to Enchanted Island?

I grew up in Phx and went to Encanto Park all the time. Now I take my kids there when I'm in that part of town.
The rides are fun, it's a beautiful setting, big sprawling park, etc. It's an urban park so there are homeless people but I figure that's just part of the landscape in city parks these days.

Susie is a discussion leader in the east valley for arizonamoms.com. She has two sons, ages 6 and 2.

I have always wanted to go there too but my husband says that is a really bad part of town so we have never taken the kids there.

Forgive me for correcting your husband, but when you come down 7th Avenue, turn onto Encanto to enter the park and visit Enchanted Island, you pass by and are situated next to beautiful, fully-restored, period homes from the 1920s-1940s. These homes are part of a well-manicured, well-maintained and expensive historic neighborhood.

The park is lovely. Old and somewhat dated, but charming and well-run (there are always friendly attendants at every single ride).

2 for 1 wristband coupons are a cinch to locate (often even on the park's web site), so for about $10, two kids can have unlimited rides on everything. We always pack a full picnic lunch and bring a frisbee, ball and bat, etc. After getting their fill of the rides, we get our cooler, find a picnic table under a covered cabana and have a picnic in the park. The children can feed the ducks and watch the train go by and wave to the kids on the train.

I never go to bad neighborhoods, but to stay away from here is ludicrous. Perhaps at midnight it is not safe in the park (or ANY park!), but hello....this is a place play for little kids. You are not going to be there at midnight. You'll go at 10 a.m! :)

Enjoy yourself and have fun.

Happy2BMommy, is a stay-at-home mom who just turned 40 (argh!) with a 6 yr. old daughter and a 4 yr. old son, and is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Scottsdale.

I have been to this park, its nice and has a lot of activies for kids. It can get pretty croweded though, so make sure you keep an eye on your child or if you are having a party there, have some other parents on hand to help

discussion leader, mom of an 11 year old girl. At this time, she is trying to make it work between raising her and having a full time job!

We actually just took my almost 2 year old there this past Saturday. She LOVED it!!!! I thought she might be a little tentative to go on rides by herself, but she was such a big girl and went on all the rides she could by herself, some even twice! I wouldn't say it's that bad of an area either and it was the first time we went! Would definitely recommend it!

Kelly
Momof2under2

I've wondered about that place too. Nice to have some feedback! We'll try it sometime!

Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

My husband took our son there and said he really enjoyed it. He ran into a friend from preschool and they both had fun on the rides.

We've been invited to birthday parties but just weren't able to get to them. I'll have to check it out myself.

Patricia is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com. She and her husband live in Phoenix and are raising a 4-year-old son they adopted as an infant.

I had my 8th birthday party there and my sister had her 5th birthday party there. It can be considered a sketchy part of town if you get past 19th Ave, so some interesting characters do lurk around the park, but they're typically nowhere near the Enchanted Island area.

It is (or at least used to be) a great place for kids and I would highly reccomend it!

"Family is not an important thing, its everything." - Michael J. Fox