On a crisp spring morning in 2020, when outdoor spaces were lifelines, Royal Oak resident and Parks & Recreation Director Nicole McEachern watched her toddler’s first wobbly steps at Patricia Paruch Park. The memory still anchors her sense of gratitude.
“That playground is where my son was learning to walk,” Nicole recalls. “It’s special to me because of those memories.”
Multiply that moment by thousands, and you begin to understand the heartbeat of Royal Oak’s fifty-one—yes, fifty-one—parks.
Royal Oak’s abundance of green space didn’t happen by accident. In the 1930s and 40s, the city’s Parks Commission launched a bold vision: a network of parks woven into the city’s fabric, one playground to each quarter mile, so no child would have to cross a major road to reach a recreation site.
Today, more than ninety percent of residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. It’s a statistic that sets Royal Oak apart nationwide.
“It makes such a difference in people’s daily lives,” Nicole says. “It’s not luck. It’s the result of thoughtful planning and leadership over generations.”
This year marked another milestone: the creation of Royal Oak’s first dedicated Parks & Recreation Department. Nicole, who began her role a year ago, championed the change alongside new City Manager Joseph Gacioch. Administrative offices now sit inside City Hall, making it easier for residents to register for programs and get involved.
“Forming our own department signals a deeper commitment,” Nicole explains. “We’re not just maintaining parks anymore. We’re elevating how we serve our residents.”
Walk through any Royal Oak park and you’ll see why they matter so much to our city. Children learn to ride bikes. Seniors gather for coffee under the trees. Neighbors stop mid-dog walk to swap stories. “Parks are where life happens,” Nicole observes. “They’re a place to pause, and to feel part of something bigger.”
And sometimes, those everyday spaces become the stage for extraordinary community moments. This spring, Worden Park hosted the “Great Marshmallow Drop,” in partnership with Oakland County. An astonishing 15,000 marshmallows rained down from a helicopter, traded for goodie bags in a twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt.
“It was spectacular. Over 10,000 people came out,” McEachern says. “That was a day where you look around and think, ‘This is why we do this.’”
Behind the scenes, Royal Oak’s Parks and Forestry team quietly keeps the city’s green heart beating, mowing fields, prepping diamonds for little league games, making sure playgrounds are safe.
“They take so much pride in what they do,” McEachern notes. “It’s invisible labor that makes visible joy.”
Designing for everyone is a guiding principle. This fall, Red Run Park will unveil a new playground built with accessibility top of mind.
“Parks should feel like they belong to everyone,” Nicole says. “Regardless of age or ability, people should feel welcome and accepted.”
Beyond the parks, the department also oversees facilities many residents don’t realize fall under its umbrella: the Royal Oak Golf Course, John Lindell Ice Arena, Salter Community Center, Four Seasons Preschool, Mahany/Meininger Senior Community Center, Royal Oak Golf Center (driving range and mini-golf), Total Soccer, even the Farmers Market. “These spaces extend the same sense of connection and community,” Nicole says. “Especially in the winter, they become vital gathering places.”
In the past year, Royal Oak has upgraded spaces at Lockman Park, 13 and Main Park, Hamer Finch Wilkins Park, and the Fred A. Erb Arboretum. They also renovated the senior center, making it more welcoming for older adults. Ball diamonds, playgrounds, and recreation spaces are being renewed as beloved amenities age. Upgrades are already planned for Gunn Dyer Park and new pickleball courts at Whittier Park. “Renewal is how we protect the legacy,” Nicole points out.
It’s clear she cares about that legacy, because she reminds me again: Royal Oak’s parks didn’t simply appear, and they won’t thrive without care.
“These spaces don’t exist by chance,” she says. “They exist because people over generations have invested time, energy, and love into them. We’re fortunate to have a park system like this, and it’s something residents should feel proud of.”
Proud, yes…and grateful, for all our green. Simply put, in Royal Oak, gratitude doesn’t have to be spoken. It can be walked. After all, it’s just ten minutes from nearly every front door.
To sign up for programs, visit royaloakrec.recdesk.com or call (248) 246-3180
“Nowadays, life seems to move so fast…it’s so important that we have these green spaces."