ABU DHABI Residents are thronging the Capital Garden in Abu Dhabi after the 50,000-square metre park in the heart of the city got a facelift recently.
The new facilities in the park include two-multi-purpose playgrounds fitted with swings, slides and monkey bars and a separate sports area with a basketball court and football nets.
“This is my favourite spot in the city. I am so happy the facility has got a makeover,” said Shamna Qassim, an Indian housewife.
A regular at the park, Qassim said the park is conveniently located and suits people like her who don’t drive. “It is only a few minutes away from both Khalifa Street and Hamdan Street. I can walk it over from my house,” said the mother of two kids.
The park also known as Al Aseema Park, was built in 1976, and is one of the oldest in the capital city. It is located in one of the most densely populated areas of the city, and is bound by Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, Hamdan Bin Mohammad Street, Fatima Bint Mubarak Street and Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street.
The renovation spanned 8,110 square metres of the park’s area.
Khalid Ameen, a Sudanese resident said his family had stopped coming in the last few months because many swings and slides were rusting. “It was pretty dangerous for kids to play on those rundown things. And nobody was fixing it. The plants were dying and even the landscaping was not maintained. It was sad to see the park disintegrating slowly,” said Ameen who works for a government company.
But now after the renovation of the facility, Ameen and his three children, ages four, seven and 12, are gleefully spending their evenings at the park. “My elder son Ahmed would never come to the park. But now he loves to play volleyball here,” said Ameen. The volleyball court and football net next to the shaded play area are attracting elder children like Ahmed while families enjoy the newly landscaped gardens.
The park also has a sprawling fountain, relaxation areas for families, a mosque and a restaurant.
The Capital Garden is open from 8am to 10pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and from 8am to 11pm from Thursday to Saturday. Entry ticket is Dh1 per person.
Capital Garden is the second park in the city to be upgraded. In March last year, the Mushrif Central Park was redesigned by real estate developer Al Ain Properties and opened to visitors.
Seven other public parks were also developed by the municipality last year at a cost of Dh34 million.
