A DAY IN THE PARK

Studio City Recreation Center

12621 Rye St., Studio City

Size: 10 acres

Facilities: 200-seat auditorium, meeting room, two baseball diamonds (one lighted), four tennis courts, new children’s play area, picnic area with barbecue pits.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Telephone: (818) 769-4415

Jon Klay is the first to admit he loves his job location. As director of the Studio City Recreation Center, Klay enjoys the park and its surroundings so much he recently moved into the neighborhood.

“It’s amazing how well-liked this park is among the families in the area,” said Klay, 30. “Most of the time, the park is like a sea of little children. This is truly a children’s park.”

Klay said the park is unique because it is tucked into a neighborhood of 30-year-old homes that are now largely occupied by young families. The park is completely bordered by small residential streets and is not near any busy intersection. Each afternoon, approximately 200 parents and hundreds of children between the ages of 3 and 7 flock to the park, he said.

“It has become a real meeting place among the neighbors,” Klay said. “It is the kind of park people want to come to, where everyone knows each other on a first-name basis.”

In addition to its popular children’s play area, the recreation center has a complete sports program, including baseball and softball.