I stopped off at the Rita's Water Ice across the street and picked up a nice, fresh chocolate ice…read morecream. Unfortunately, that Rita's does not have any seating so I decided to go across the street to Warner Avenue Park and Playground. The park has a large variety of benches and a few tables, which is nice. They were nice and clean as well. It was a great place to stop and enjoy a nice ice cream! The park itself is very nice as well. There is a large basketball court, two playgrounds and a small walking trail. Around the entire park, there are beautiful flowers planted. There is even a small section of the park where you can sit down and see the amazing beauty. The basketball court is very nice and well-maintained. It is also full sized! The court is very popular as well as kids were flocking to it. The two playgrounds were also very nice. They included a variety of events including many slides! Around the park was also a cool frog statue! Altogether, this is a nice little park in the heart of Bryn Mawr!

Look out for the PRETZEL (it's big!) and you'll know you've made it to your destination. Pretzel…read morePark had a lot of space to run, great play equipment and a dog park on-site. It's a great spot and the adjacent subway line is a bonus too!

Well since it looks like I have some explaining to do, I may as well kick it off with one of my…read morefavorite Homer Simpson quotes that best sums it up - "Here's to alcohol: the source of, and answer to, all of life's problems." Because of Alcohol there comes a time where you might find yourself having to help a friend walk down two incredibly vast hills and the longest flight of suicide stairs that you ever witnessed, as he flails his $300 sunglasses and weaves tales that you can't even begin to grasp all the way. There also comes a time where because of it you magically see a regular bush materialize into a perfectly tan set of buns. and as you start to sober up a little bit you realize that you were caught in the act of staring at someone when they were in an awkward squatting position for over a minute. And when that happens you have to go back and tell your friends about no matter what nickname it earns you (I've earned nicknames for reasons far worse that I'll plead the fifth on.). And yet while all of the above are situations that can go horribly wrong, they manage to go horribly right. I'm nowhere near the lengthy wordsmith that Aaron is. But luckily since he summed up the whole adventure smashingly I don't need to be. He's dead on about it being a fine blend of Rittenhouse Square and Logan Circle (with a little bit of *ahem* Clark Park added in). And it's named for a statue that makes me wish that I had a giant cup of dipping mustard handy. And all of that, and the many adventures that it weaves is enough to make Pretzel Park pretty impressive.

Firehouse Park is located on Bustard Road in Towamencin Pa, across from the Towamencin Firehouse…read more(where it probably got it's name). It's a neat little park for jogging, walking dogs, picnics, you name it! My Boy Scout Troop (178 of Kulpsville Pa, the same area as Towamencin) used to have some of our troop picnics here so I've been here on a few occasions. It's worth checking out, it's a neat park in a great area!

Visited this park today on a cold winter morning. Gate was closed, so I had to park out on the…read morestreet just outside the park, which was not too bad. Even with sidewalks and the parking lot slicked over in ice, this was actually a pleasant park to visit just to get some fresh air on a cold winter morning. There were a surprising amount of dog walkers and even small groups of people also getting outside for some fresh air. I can see how this park would be a great place to get outside in nicer weather. There's a softball field, a small picnic and firepit area, and a few outer trails that directly connect to the larger Wissahickon trail system. I could have kept going... but alas I didn't bring a beanie with me. Great park, will be back!

Blue Bell is a hidden gem on the Germantown side of the Wissahickon Creek. It is one of Fairmount…read morePark's best parks because it is used for so many diverse things. 1. Dog Park-- Lots of room to run, lots of things to investigate on the edges of the field, lots of small and long trails to hike! I'm actually not a fan of a lot of the people who come here with their dogs. Not a lot of control going on (more that casual, "beeeeenji, come back" kind of dog watching. which is okay unless you have a big dog and have to deal with their little yappy biting bastard.) Most of the more responsible owners come during the day when it's empty or skip the park altogether and just hike the trails. That said, if you are a more social, stand-around kind of owner-- this is the park for you: around 5:00-6:00 pm there has gotta be about 40 people and their dogs congregating and hanging out in the field. 2. Picnic Areas-- this is one of the premiere spots inthe Northwest for family/ school/ fraternity / sorority reunions, Memorial and Labor Day Parties, you name it. With 5 separate picnic areas, there can even be multiple events going on at once (though Picnic Area #5 is the prime one and is closest to the pavilion). I have even seen people pull trucks out into the field and set up bbq pits and tables on the grass! They HAD two Porta Potties which were both sparklingly clean and always stocked with Toilet Paper (yay!), but recently they got rid of the blue one (private contractors not Fairmount Park). There is a pavilion with 3 picnic tables and a working fireplace. 3. Access to Hiking/Biking Trails: So, you can get to both the hill bike trails and the main hiking trail from at least 6 small trails that I can think of off the top of my head (I attached pics of a couple of them). The wonderful people at Fairmount Park are currently renovating this Park's access, and are about half done-- gosh, every once in a blue moon I am proud of our Philly government... 4. Parking: regretfully for them, many people do not live near the Wissahickon Valley and have to drive here. Parking lots with easy access to Creek Trails are essential. Blue Bell has a TON of parking and is pretty empty except for peak times. Peak times are as follows (caveat: this is based only on my own observations). WEekdays-- early morning, say 8:00-9:00 am; evening, say 5:00-7:00 pm; weekends, ALL DAY. Another thing to be aware of is that Germantown Friends' softball team seems to use the field, though randomly. Just be aware that you might head over to get away from the dogs, be lounging in left field reading a book, when 30 screaming girls will pour of a yellow bus and swarm you... 5.Baseball Field: very well-groomed (as I mentioned, GFS' softball team uses it). Best thing of all is that they also have a pitching "cage" and a batting "cage" (both are netting). The pitching cage even has a bounce back net with strike zone hole! 6. Porta Potty: Last but not least, one of the major uses of this park is to go to the bathroom: trash men, water department, roofers, landscapers, regular Joes in suits and ties-- they ALLLLLLL come here to use the bathroom. And only to use the bathroom. As you can see from the pictures, the Porta Potty is CLEAN and always stocked with TP. I don't know about you, but having somewhere in an emergency (and knowing where it is) is a major quality of life issue :) there's always the woods, but I am getting old... HOURS: From April 1 through October 31 the parking lot is open from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, November 1 through March 31 they close it up at 6:00 pm. But no worries, there is plenty of parking on Walnut Lane's shoulder and there are plenty of trails leading from the street. Also, when they are going to lock the gate at closing, the Ranger will drive in with his lights (like tow lights) flashing and will play a megaphone/speaker announcement that the park is closing (and it's usually at least a half hour late....) So whether you are taking care of a dog, hiking, biking, relaxing or just need to go to the bathroom, don't forget about Blue Bell Park!

I'd heard of this but hadn't been, wanted to check it out, so I stopped by one afternoon. I like…read morethe fact that it's kind of Philly's answer to the High Line in NYC, love that piece of it. It's not in that nice of an area, though, so I enjoyed the visit, but look forward to seeing what the next steps look like. Note, if driving there, you need to navigate to "Rail Park entrance" rather than just "Rail Park;" the latter is geographically accurate, but in a spot where there's no access to the park itself. Parking near the entrance is paid. Like the High Line, it's an opportunity to see that section of the city from a slightly elevated spot. There are some cool things to see here and there, and lots of space to sit, as well as some things for kids to play. Not a whole lot at the moment, though. It is quite clean.

I love the Rail Park. It is such a nice addition of to this part of the city where there are lots…read moreof old warehouses and now apartment buildings. It is built on an old railway line. It great to see the space being repurposed. They also use as much of the old materials as possible. Today I went on a tour/walk with We Walk Philly and a Rail Park guide. The tour was interesting and informative. The guide gave us a lot of information about the past use and the transformation. We also had the chance to see the tunnels that are in the next phase of transformation. The park is kept clean. Street parking is available nearby and it is convenient to public transportation. Bathrooms are not available. Restaurants/food shops are a 5-15 minute walk.

Love the vibe. Hidden away and easy to walk past and miss this incredible little gem.read more

Look at this beautiful lil oasis in the middle of the city…read more and near so many lovely shops and cafes. I am smitten!!

East Falls one-city-block-square oasis that has some nice benches and shady trees. There's a bus…read morestop on one corner (Henry at Midvale) that gets a lot of traffic but is otherwise serene open space inviting to walkers and dog-friendly folk (there's a doggie station for easy cleanup). There's not a whole lot going on there but it's a community meeting spot for some events like the holiday sing-a-long and the East Falls Flea Market. There's a massive old tree left-of-center that is fascinatingly huge. It kinda let's you in on how old the park and area really is. There's also a young tree dedicated to former Mayor/Governor Ed Rendell for aiding in being an advocate and resident of East Falls. A small former fountain-turned-play-area with a turtle statue seems kind of out of place there. Henry Avenue lines one side so it's not quite as quiet there but if you go back toward the charter school on Coulter, it's a bit more tame. On the other three sides it has some of the nicer residential houses in East Falls. The park itself is named after the first president of Fairmount Park and former mayor of Philadelphia of which there is a city historical plaque posted in his honor. It's kept pretty clean due to community members' collective efforts. It's a nice little slice of green in a city space.

Very scenic small park. Lots of people walk their dogs at this park. I sat down on the bench…read morewaiting for my bus to arrive. Next time I come I will take pics it was too cold for pics on this day.

I had been hesitant to check out Fetch because of the mixed reviews I had heard, asked for feedback…read morefrom people that had been, and ultimately decided I needed to check it out by myself first (without my dogs). I live in Manayunk and went to Bark Social a lot. Here's what I saw: - Having a separate entrance to the inside for humans was great, no waiting in line to check in! - The beer wall is completely gone and there's nothing in its place. I asked the bartender about it and he immediately got flustered and was like "we don't talk about that." I prodded him a bit and asked if anything would be going in that space and he essentially said no. - The inside is DRAB AS HELL! They got rid of all the fun, colorful, playful stuff. There are weird cafe tables with candles on them?? - $12 for what was essentially a small Moscow mule in a plastic cup - I was only able to identify a single employee in the yard, I have no idea if there were others - if there were, they are definitely not easily identifiable - The employee I did see was aggressive, yelling at people, and talking shit. She seemed to hate her job and during the first few minutes of me being there, she missed that these 2 dogs were about to fight and they did fight, she was extremely slow to respond and basically didn't do anything. - Tennis balls everywhere. I cannot comprehend how the owners think this is ok. - The one staff member I did see had 0 interaction with the dogs. At all. Didn't talk to them, pet or play with them, nothing. This is polar opposite from Bark Social staff who were actively engaged with the dogs to play and monitor everything. Fetch is a completely different vibe from Bark Social. Bark Social wasn't perfect, but it was an extremely welcoming community and staff. I felt so uncomfortable here on my own, I would never feel ok bringing my dogs here. They also do not do free first time day passes to see if it's a fit for you/your dog - so keep that in mind if you're giving it a shot. I'm sure some people are ok with this concept but I'm not and won't be going back. I miss Bark Social

Fetch Park was the original dog park bar concept before Bark Social…read more I first discovered Fetch Park in 2022 while visiting Atlanta, and wishing so badly that they would come to Philly. Funny, how that wish came true. I know many people are still mourning the death of Bark Social, but Bark Social is gone for good. Having Fetch Park take over this space is truly the best possible outcome of Bark Social's bankruptcy. And now that Boozy Mutt has also closed, we really can't afford to lose Fetch Park too. I plan on taking my dog to Fetch Park every chance I get. I'm not taking for granted this dog park bar that we lost and were lucky enough to get back. This isn't the South--we don't have many dog park bars in this part of the country. Honestly, not much is different from before. You do have to pick up after your dog now and food must be eaten inside (eating in front of doggos and not sharing is rude anyway). The staff is very friendly, too. Overall, everything feels pretty much the same. Your dog probably won't even notice the difference. And as long as it feels the same as before to them and they have fun, that's really all it matters.