barndall art park in los feliz, los angeles; looking north toward griffith observatory

i grew up in tulsa, oklahoma, which is a city full of parks. you can’t stroll more than a few blocks before running into one, so much so that i took green spaces for granted until i moved away. parks remind me of friends and family, picnics (i’m a sucker for a good picnic – check out my picnic board on pinterest), late-night walks, shakespeare in the park and, more than anything, lots of green space. in my opinion, the best provide a place to hang out with friends, beautiful surroundings, and a little bit of the arts. here is a small sample of my favorite parks i have found throughout my travels.

1.stanley park, vancouver, canada – i visited stanley park on a beautiful day in august with my best friend. we rented bikes, and cycled around the perimeter of the grounds, looking across the vancouver harbor and the burrard inlet, passing lighthouses and totem poles, and lazy beaches on the west side. after turning in our bikes, we looped back to the theatre under the stars for a performance of singin in the rain with a glass of wine and some themed photos during intermission (see below).

central park, new york city

2.central park, new york, new york – ok, this is a given. it’s expected because it’s the best. it’s classic. where else can you find an ice-skating rink in the middle of green space with sky scrapers framing the backdrop? stop by the castle or run around the reservoir, or simply enjoy the plentiful art throughout the park (my favorite is the alice in wonderland sculpture on the southeast side of the park). and when you’re finished with the outdoors, step into the metropolitan museum of art, located inside the park and worthy of its own day entirely.

3. barnsdall art park, los angeles, california – this is my local neighborhood park, and i couldn’t be luckier. set on a hill in the neighborhood of los feliz, the park has views of griffith park to the north and the city and ocean to the west. frank lloyd wright’s hollyhock house sits atop the hill, as well as gallery space, a theater, and classroom space with weekly art classes. wine tastings and open air movie nights are huge perks, but my favorite thing to do is arrive on a saturday, spread out a blanket with a good picnic (told you), and enjoy a great book.

do you have any good parks i should check out?

themed photos during intermission of singin’ in the rain in stanley park

cycling around stanley park in vancouver (always wear a helmet)