City Parks

A stone’s throw away from any neighborhood supermarket one can find a city park waiting for you. City Parks are different from National or State Park entities in size and stature, but often give us a “mini” view of what it would be like to be in one of its mother or father national and/or state parks. City Parks are often referred to as the lungs of urban life because of their tenacious ability to give neighborhoods an opportunity for its inhabitants to get much needed exercise and to picnic, hike, play and offer a moment of breath between the busy and stressful pressures of modern industrial living. City Parks are also referred to as urban, municipal, or public parks. City park units are different also in the fact they generally operate with strict hours and open and close at specific times, but they are generally free and are easy to find.

Common features of City Parks

Playgrounds, hiking trails, bike trails, ball parks, running tracks, picnic facilities and depending on budget limitations sometimes swimming pools can be found in neighborhood park units.  Typically City Parks are maintained by local city and state funds, but as always our Park Service staff are always involved with making sure park areas are protected and properly cared for.

To fully comprehend the magnitude of what a City Park brings to any living environment, imagine what Manhattan would be like without Central Park. Even for the most hardcore metropolitans there is just no way to put the value of our city parks into perspective. One moment a city dweller is moving through the cement jungle from one building to the next; and the next moment that same person could be having lunch in a spread out green patch of land surrounded by trees, ponds, reservoirs with children laughing and playing on swings or playing ball.

City Parks often embrace what’s known as Open Spaces that refer to reserves within an urban setting that interconnect natural environmental landscapes with important resources for the regulation of water supplies and power to the surrounding developed areas.  The basic reality is that City Parks offer more than just recreational play to the people who live in major cities throughout the United States. Research suggests that these park locations are vital to the psychological and cultural well being of any city’s inhabitants who depend on these beloved parks for resources of critical relaxation at times of stress. They give children the access to exercise and keep their bodies and minds healthy. There are so many other more subtle life surprises within the boundaries of our urban neighborhoods that City Parks deliver to its inhabitants. Research shows that people rediscover themselves when they experience the life that pulsates from a City Park. Research does show that various City park locations contribute significantly to the quality of life of its inhabitants who dwell in challenging urban living conditions.

City Park Events

City Parks are usually free to visit and offer cultural community events, music and dance concerts and performances that provide people with an alternative to being inside and disconnected from the environment. It has been researched that an estimated 1.5 billion inhabitants visit City Parks on a yearly basis.

Select a major city near you and find parks in your area.

These major US Cities host some of America’s most beautiful parks.