Brighton Street Reserve

Fun little play park, basketball hoop and benches to sit down and relax. I think there was a BBQ too. Dog allowed on leash with dog poo bags and bins. No toilet unfortunately.

The only place that is fully fenced to let a dog have a run in Petersham, Stanmore lewisham and surrounding areas. Council needs to incorporate dog off leash times, maybe before 9am and after dusk. There are plenty of children’s playgrounds and play equipment , in the area(s) within walking distance of this park. Perhaps the council could even designate this as a dog only area, as plenty of local residents have dogs. There are only 2 fenced dog parks in the local vicinity and you need a car to get to both. The park could be for ball sports and dogs at the same time. Local should learn to share green areas

I wish I could rate this park higher. Our one year old loves it. Unfortunately, too many people use it as their off leash dog park, which makes it unsafe for a toddler who is learning to walk. It also seems to be a hangout for smoking and drinking during children's play times. Hopefully Inner West Council can make sure it stays safe for the little ones.

It's not often you find gems that are hidden in plain sight and have been laying around for years, but Brighton Street Reserve is definitely one of those places. Nestled in the quiet residential side of Petersham, this small park offers the local residents a nice kid's playground and green space for picnics but the highlight for me is the basketball half court situated here. First of all the negative. There's enough surrounding space but the council chose to build the court only slightly larger than the three point arc which means you're jacking up 3's from out of bounds. Other than this design flaw, this has to be one of the most rock solid basket structures I have encountered on a public outdoor court, featuring a thick, very stiff double ring which is completely unforgiving if you're not deadly accurate and don't splash your shots. This is a blessing and a curse as some people will just give up shooting hoops since often their shots will just rim out and they'll be endlessly fetching long rebounds, making them frustrated, thinking they completely suck at shooting. However for those that take the time to practice and hone their craft shooting on this ring, they'll think they're Steph Curry reincarnated, sinking everything at pretty much every other bball ring. Also, owing to the stiffness of the entire structure, mastering the bank shot becomes a study in trying to perfect an artform which feels highly rewarding once you've gotten a feel of the backboard's intricacies. It takes some adjusting to, but personally I love it as it helps develop shooting touch and finding the right balance between power and finesse. If the court was slightly larger, it would easily be 5 stars, but as it stands, I'd give it 4 out of 5.

The kids playground need proper cleaning