"According to ParkScore 2015, Boston has one of the best park systems in the whole country, ranking eighth out of 75 cities thanks to factors like "people per acre" (131) and "proximity" (95% of us live less than a 10-minute walk to a park)."
Here are 5, provided by Thrillist:
1. Larz Anderson Park | Brookline
"In 1948, socialite heiress Isabel Weld Perkins bequeathed her 17th-century estate to Brookline, including the family’s collection of vintage vehicles now on display in the carriage house. The picturesque 64 acres feature barbecue areas, athletic fields, an ice rink, Putterham School (ca. 1768), the Top of the Hill, and the pondside Temple of Love (based on the one at Versailles, NOT the Sisters of Mercy song). They also put on a bunch of car shows year-round, like British Car Day and Swedish Car Day and German Car Day... you get the idea. Lot of cars."
2. Franklin Park | Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury
"Boston’s biggest park is SO ginormous that it spans three neighborhoods: Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury. And it needs all 500+ acres to contain a zoo, the second-oldest public golf course in the US, tennis courts, baseball fields, lacrosse & soccer fields, playgrounds, cross-country courses, walking/biking trails, the playhouse, Ellicott Arch, Scarboro Pond, and Long Crouch Woods... wheeeeeeeew. Designed as a “country park” by Frederick Law Olmsted, Franklin Park is the largest and last component of the original Emerald Necklace."
3. Christopher Columbus Park | North End
"Opened on the bicentennial, CCP was Boston’s first waterfront park, and it’s now part of the ever-growing “way better than it was” Harbor Walk. The compact 4.5 acres are loaded with everything from a playground, rose garden, and statue of Chris C himself, to a spray fountain, the Beirut Memorial, and the wisteria-covered trellis that’s lit during the holiday season. However, this harbor-side urban oasis is best for chilling, picnicking, more chilling, and people-watching during the summer. Or for hitting one of the many festivals,summer movie nights, and art shows."
4. Rose Kennedy Greenway | Waterfront
"The Rose Kennedy Greenway is the amalgam of multiple parks sprouting from the much-maligned Big Dig project. You remember, the one that cost American taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars. Opened in 2008, it replaced the JFK Expressway (ironic) with huge lawns, fountains, gardens, rotating/permanent art, and that bitchin’ carousel. And she’s not just a pretty face, either. There’s the daily food truck rally in Dewey Square, the Saturday open market, farmers' markets four days a week, a concert series, yoga classes, and 300+ events (e.g. FIGMENT) every year. Major bonus: free Wi-Fi... enabling you to ditch the office and work outside."
5. Castle Island | Southie
"No longer really an island, Castle Island joins Marine Park and City Point Park on the sandy three-mile loop around Pleasure Bay. The main attraction is the pre-Civil War-era Fort Independence (a pentagonal stone behemoth suitable for touring), but the panoramic harbor view is a close second. Outside the “castle,” sprawling lawns make for ideal picnicking, and the iconic Sullivan’s Castle Island has clam shack treats and burgers for your seaside feast. Bonus: pack your rod and reel and join the other anglers on the fishing pier."
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