Portland reverses course, saves beloved 50-year Brooklyn Park slip ‘n slide

After neighborhood backlash, Portland will keep Brooklyn Park’s iconic slip ‘n slide and work with volunteers to preserve the decades-old tradition.

PORTLAND, Ore. — What started as outrage over the closure of a beloved neighborhood tradition ended with cheers after the City of Portland reversed course and agreed to keep Brooklyn Park’s iconic slip ‘n slide open. The initial closure was first reported by Willamette Weekly. 

For lifelong resident Kevin Thompson, the decision came only after neighbors made enough noise to be heard.

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“Without the press, without the social media attention that this has gained, I feel that the city wouldn’t have changed its mind,” Thompson said.

The slip ‘n slide has been a summer tradition at Brooklyn Park for about 50 years, creating memories across generations of Portland families. Thompson said the slide was even stored at his family’s home for decades.

For Thompson, the attraction has always been about more than a way to cool off on a hot day.

“It kept us out of trouble,” he said. “At the time, we didn’t realize. Growing up, without this park program, who knows where a lot of us from this neighborhood would be.”

The slide has become a fixture of the neighborhood, drawing children and parents year after year.

“We saw a lot of parents who remember the slide when they were kids,” neighborhood resident Matt Wells said.

Fernanda, who lives nearby, said the attraction has become a community gathering place.

“There is much joy that is brought by that slide,” she said. “It brings the neighborhood together.”

The tradition has also been sustained by neighbors themselves.

Helen Houser grew up next door to Brooklyn Park, spending summers on the slide. Today, her father, Jim Houser, supplies the water for the attraction from his own home after Portland Parks & Recreation stopped providing it in 2017.

Helen recalled one young mother knocking on her father’s door with two toddlers.

“I heard you’re the one that provides the water. Can I write you a check?” she remembered the woman asking.

Jim Houser laughed off the cost of providing the water himself.

The controversy began after Portland Solutions staff found an unsheltered person sleeping on the slide earlier this month and discovered the plastic had been damaged by a fire. The damaged material was removed, prompting Portland Parks & Recreation to review the attraction with its Land Stewardship staff.

According to the bureau, the slip ‘n slide had not been identified in the current permit application submitted by Friends of Brooklyn Park, the organization that runs the Brooklyn Park Summer Youth Program, so it had not been formally reviewed as part of the permitting process.

Land Stewardship staff initially determined the slide could not continue in its current form because of concerns about the impact large plastic sheeting, water and repeated use could have on the park’s natural turf.

That decision sparked swift backlash from neighbors.

“That’s crazy,” Fernanda said. “Why would you? There are so many more important things that can be shut down.”

After internal discussions, Portland Parks & Recreation reversed its decision.

The bureau said Interim Director Art Pearce has directed staff to work with Friends of Brooklyn Park to find a solution that allows the tradition to continue while protecting the park.

“This waterslide is clearly a beloved Brooklyn tradition and I get it; it looks like a lot of fun,” Pearce said in a statement. “I understand why families were disappointed by the initial answer. Parks should be places where kids can have fun and make lasting memories, and we also have a responsibility to care for the public space everyone shares. I’ve asked our team to sit down with Friends of Brooklyn Park and look for a workable solution that respects both elements.”

Neighbor Nick said the city’s decision to reconsider came down to listening to the people who use the park.

“You gotta listen to people in the community and talk to who it’s affecting,” he said.

“It’s good that they listened,” she said. “It’s a little weird they decided to do it in the first place.”

For kids like Lanai, the outcome means another summer of racing down the hill.

“I like that the slide gets the grass all wet and you get all wet in the grass, too,” Lanai said. “People can go down the slide and people go almost to the baseball field.”