Enjoying Outdoor Activities Around Boston
by Nao Valentino on April 7, 2005 in Culture
Spring is on the way, and thankfully Boston has plenty of green spaces to accommodate all of your long awaited outdoor activities.
Boston Public Garden - Although the Public Gardens do not offer large open spaces for group sports and such, Bostonians visit America’s first botanical garden to lounge in the sun and feed the ducks. Your first visit to the Public Gardens simply must include a Swan Boat ride. Although the boats are pedal - powered and move incredibly slowly around the lagoon, they are a Boston tradition. $1.75 per person. Green line to Arlington. 617-522-1966.
Boston Common: Across the street from America’s first public garden, is America’s first public park. The Common offers ample space for sports and larger gatherings, and with baseball diamonds and a gazebo, it is a popular place for pickup sports and outdoor concerts. However, most people simply take refuge under the shade trees with a book and a picnic blanket. Green line to Park Street. Food vendors available.
Arnold Arboretum: The Arboretum offers 265 acres of parkland in Jamaica Plain. Spring is the best time to visit, as the space is famous for the overwhelming perfume stemming from newly bloomed lilacs and rhododendrons. Bostonians migrate to the arboretum for lengthy biking and rollerblading trails. Orange line to Forest Hills. www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
Esplanade: Anyone can enjoy the Esplanade. This path that stretches for miles along the Boston-side banks of the Charles River, and is perfect for anything from walking your dog to biking or jogging. Along the Esplanade you’ll find a playground, open park fields, benches, a café, gondola rides, and spectacular weeping willows. It’s a beautiful place at sunset, especially when the sailboats are on the water.
North End Playground. Bocce ball players, rejoice. A hidden jewel in Boston is the bocce ball courts at the North End playground. Follow Commercial Street up along the wharves to the North End to find the home of the most avid bocce ball league outside of Italy. The locals are very nice, and encourage you to pick up a game against them, but don’t ever hope to win. The playground is great for kids, and offers a superb view of the Bunker Hill Memorial and the USS Constitution. Green line to Haymarket, and walk.
Magazine Beach and Cambridge Common: If you are looking for a great place for weekend sports, your best bets are Magazine Beach and Cambridge Common. Both offer baseball diamonds, ample football turf, and mini bleachers for spectators. Since you are competing with some organized leagues, the parks do get a little crowded on the weekends, so try and get there somewhat early to secure space. Magazine beach is in Cambridge, just over the BU bridge. Cambridge Common is on Garden Street, north of Harvard square
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