by Lauren Rogoff

If you love the outdoors as much as your nieces and nephews, and want to enjoy an afternoon basking in the sun, playing games, picnicking, and generally reveling (after you’ve reminded your nieces and nephews to put on sunscreen!), you might be on the lookout for a park that’s a bit out of the ordinary.

"Your whole sense of place changes when you go into a successful city park," says Alan Tate, author of Great City Parks. "They give you a feeling of going away without leaving town."
Check out a few of the wonderful parks below.  These are not your run-of-the-mill parks and gardens; rather, they’re wonderful hideaways you will delight to discover along with your nieces and nephews.  It will make a visit to the park and an afternoon with Auntie extraordinary!

1.        The Creative Little Garden, New York, NY
This completely charming garden is small, as its name suggests, but it will transport you and your nieces and nephews to a whole other world.  Open since 1978, this lush green garden is magically landscaped and has a great fountain, swing, and lovely bird houses.  A perfect postage stamp of nature in the city, it’s an ideal spot for a picnic or an ice cream with your niece or nephew.

2.       Mountain Lake Park, San Francisco, CA
We love Golden Gate Park, but the hills of San Francisco are also home to some gorgeous parks that might not be as familiar.  One favorite is Mountain Lake Park.  This park, which ends at the Presidio, is an adventure awaiting you and your nieces and nephews.  When you enter (and frolic at!) the playground  area in the Inner Richmond neighborhood, all you have to do is walk down a staircase behind the swings to discover a huge, hidden pond.  If you walk around it, you’ll find tennis courts, a back entry to the Presidio, and who knows what else?

3.       Audobon Park, New Orleans, LA
This lovely park, designed by John Charles Olmsted, includes the Audobon Zoo, a newly renovated golf course, and several lagoons.  True to its namesake and one-time New Orleans resident, John James Audobon, the park is still a hotspot or birdwatchers.  Learn more about nature with your niece or nephew as you try to spot an egret or heron!

4.       Castle Island, Pleasure Bay, Boston, MA
Even Bostonians sometimes forget about the interest and history of Fort Independence.  The fort is situated on a 22-acre urban park, connected to the mainland by both pedestrian and vehicular causeways.  At Castle Island, in addition to the 1850 fort, which offers free tours.  The park has beaches, bike paths, picnic areas, fishing grounds, a play area and gorgeous views.  Fort Independence and Castle Island are on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and the fort is a National Historic Landmark.  Enjoy a historic day at the beach close to the city with your niece or nephew.

5.       Ping Tom Memorial Park, Chicago, IL
After a day of making silly faces with your niece or nephew at the bean at Millenium Park, you might be looking for something a bit out of the ordinary in Chicago.  Look no further than Ping Tom Memorial Park, in Chinatown, along the Chicago River.  Not only does it have a playground, but it also boasts a pagoda-style pavilion and Chinese-inspired landscaping.  Built on what was originally a railroad yard for the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad, the Chicago Park district began transforming the secluded riverside plot into the manicured, unique park it is today.  The park was named in honor of the leading force behind its creation, Chicago Chinatown's most noted civic leader, Ping Tom. Ping Tom was a lifelong resident of Chinatown who  formed the Chinese American Development Corporation in 1984.  Bring your niece or nephew there to play and relax, and learn a little about the history of the city while you’re at it.

Photo: Photostock
Published:  April 10, 2012