it seemed kind of disconnected from the city, like some kind of "office park" of city parks.
It's easy to miss Downsview Park as a park.
I agree with you both. I actually went to the park south of Sheppard after passing through William Baker yesterday, and it felt barren. Granted, I saw people while I was there, but there were very few. There's nothing wrong with a park having open space, but when it's mostly open space - and barely any tree canopy - you're reminded how deserted it really is.
Here are my biggest problems with Downsview Park:
1. As others have said, it's easy to miss if you're not from the area. There's no real indication of a park at the corner of Keele and Sheppard, save for this:
Not very inviting. Meanwhile, there's this sign down the street on Keele in front of the pond:
which is ineffective, because: a) it's set back from the sidewalk, and b) it's facing north on the east side of Keele, so southbound motorists will easily miss it, and northbound motorists won't even see it. Not to mention there isn't a lot of foot traffic on this stretch of Keele anyway. A sign like this belongs up the street at Keele and Sheppard, which is a busy intersection.
2. The park could use more outdoor facilities. Not just playgrounds or cafes like lead82 mentioned, but also things like basketball courts or soccer fields. Yes, you can play those sports year-round at the Hangar, but it's tucked away deep in the park and is only accessible by car, the 101 Downsview Park bus or a long walk. Putting them outdoors and closer to the main roads could make them more accessible and the park more vibrant as a whole.
Hopefully things will change as the surrounding neighbourhoods are developed, but for now it looks like the park will only be active during special events.