The best spot I have been so far for long hiking trails in the Pompano area. Easy hiking. Didn't get bit by any type bugs, spiders, mosquitoes , snakes or alligators. The Trails are clean. Nature Center is great. Perfect trails for all ages. Restrooms and refreshments available. I did the Half mile boardwalk loop trail which is very shaded, so it wasn't feeling too hot. Very tropical. Felt like it was actually misting but no rain. Lots of water under the walkway. It's a Lush forest. Then I did the 1 mile loop prairie trail plus an extra 300 yard loop trail off the prairie trail. Overall a nice forest. Check it out if you haven't been. It's free and plenty of parking was available on a Saturday. They Even had a cleaning station with a water hose and foot scrubber to clean your shoes on the way out. read more

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We live waking at Fern Forest. The trails are beautiful and the "treehouse" in the middle is great for events and kids to explore. It's also a great spot for photos! One thing that could be improved is the wildlife children's center needs a major deep clean. It doesn't look like it has ever been cleaned. There is so much dust everywhere and has lots of spiderwebs around the baseboards and underneath the furniture. Great spot to get a spider bite. Lots of the content and activities are old and out of date. read more

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Magical. Spooky. You can almost forget that you're in the middle of a huge megalopolis. There are wooden walkway trails over the wetlands. There are trails on the sand in the scrub land. None of the trails are super long. And there's almost no elevation change. But that's to be expected. It's an amazing place to get some tranquility. There are lots of programs and engagement for the public as well. Look for one of their events. read more

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Best park in the area by far. I feel like I may have already reviewed this place because I've been coming here for years. They have a lovely boardwalk loop through a very shady cypress swamp. Make sure to bring bug spray but otherwise have a blast! Oh and no pets allowed I'm afraid. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Nature center interior - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

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Accurate information. Yelp reviewer stated this was a pet friendly park. It most definitely and emphatically is not intended for pets unless your pet is a human. I wasted a drive to this park with our two miniature dachshunds only to be greeted at the entrance to Fern Forest with a sign that made me realize that not all reviewers can read or choose to follow prohibitions. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Lily and Teddy, miniature dachshunds who were denied the opportunity to explore in Fern Forest Nature Park. - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

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I love everything about Green Forest. Just finished walking the trails for the past 2 hours. Today, I took the Prairie Overlook Trail and Loop. It it was a peaceful walk with a few friendly people to chat with along the way. They were butterflies galore, plenty of caterpillars, and I saw a few rabbits. Mostly just enjoy the greenery today and the taste of the air out there! read more

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We Loved It...Such A Magickal Forest, Walking Meditation And Being Present And Connecting With Nature By Grounding & Healing Your Inner Self. Definitely A Nature Lovers Paradise. Go And See For Yourselves. The Old Beautiful Florida. read more

What a cool little park with trails. They have two trails, one that is a boar walk over the major and the other that are dirt trails. They keep this place clean and very well.Maintained, and it is cool to see all the different varieties of trees. I also am very impressed with the two story treehouse.As soon as you walk in (mature center) read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

I am so thrilled we found this place! Fern Forest is like a fairytale come true. I have never seen so many ferns, and it was fun to try to identify them all. Walking in the forest is completely on a wooden boardwalk so the swamp is preserved below. I did feel as if we were walking into a fairytale of my childhood. The filtered light, the lichen covered trees that look like a crazy painter came by, the curly tops of unfurling fern fronds, the cypress knees sticking out of the water - all so magical to view. The parking lot is ample, and the boardwalk is shady most everywhere. The nature center is what you come to first, but it is set back from the parking lot, so the entire experience of coming across this at-least-3 story wooden building in the middle of the woods is a bit of an out of time experience. The open air amphitheater is gorgeous. What a find for a wedding or event! They have a banquet hall as well just for party rentals. The nature center itself - I did not understand it. There is an extremely outdated and old school nature center that appears unstaffed. I am down with the old school glass panes and pinned butterflies, but without sufficient instructions, it was not apparent what was for kid use or adult use, etc. Definitely lacking guidance or interpretation. I would say this center is not worth even stepping inside. Just head staright to the forest. I love the parks with beautiful boardwalks over them - you can see so much without disturbing anything. The views here were just so special and beautiful. I wish the interpretive signs showing all the types of ferns had a photographed version and one that is to scale to help with identification. A handheld photo guide would have also been helpful. read more

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This is a very nice place to walk around. It's a large park/forest and they have these wooden trail bridges to help you get through the heavily dense woods. We even saw an owl. read more

Looking for a quiet shaded path to walk? Look no further than Fern Forest. The park offers wooden paths around the park completely shaded with all types of Florida ferns. Thousands of ferns! In the summer it can be a bit humid, but what isn't? The park also has lots of orchids growing in the trees for orchid lovers and lots of unique butterflies that you don't usually see. They also rent out the main building above the nature center for weddings. It is a quiet place, during the week, to sit, walk, and contemplate. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Fern Forest - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

Beautiful location!!! A must see and if you have big party they have a venue that holds 80ppl for an entire day $1k Definitely coming here again to walk around read more

Pretty cool place for hiking/going for a walk. The trails can get very muddy, sloppy, and slippery when it rains. So either get some good hiking/trail shoes or walking sticks/trekking poles. They have a hose to rinse your shoes off before going back to your vehicle. Most of the trails are covered and shaded but can get very humid. I've seen squirrels, rabbits, snakes, tortoise, different birds and spiders out on the trail. They also have a boardwalk trail if you don't want to get dirty. They have a spot for weddings. They have bathrooms, water fountains and a soda machine. Though, I've had to go inside and trade my quarters for a dollar bill because the machine hasn't taken the quarters any time I've gone. Nice, slightly hidden place to check out if you want somewhere calm to walk. read more

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Great park for walking and viewing wildlife! There are several trails to walk here, through prairie, swamp, and forest. During my walk I saw several species of bird, fish, turtles, tortoise and squirrels. There's a toddler area within the nature center with puzzles and books; you can also spy some snakes in the same space, as well as educate yourself about native species to the park. The park offers guided nature walks every Sunday, as well as other events throughout the year. I am happy to find a quiet slice of nature in the middle of a busy urban area. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

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My first time in the Fort Lauderdale area-visiting a good friend there. As a botany nerd, I was looking for a nice mini hike with a diverse plant variety. I was so happy to come here. As a Californian, I wasn't familiar with all the plants so I was using plant apps to help. It was so fun nerding out on the plants here and enjoying these diverse environments (wetlands, meadows, woodland, etc). I'm sure we will be back on my next visit read more

I have been here many times but yesterday I attended a baby shower here. I love that the staff was so assessable and ready to assist with any and everything. The room was huge and guest had plenty of space for the occasion. Aside from the recreational center, the nature walks are beautiful and I usually run into an animal or two. I have walked on all the trails here, some lead to the turnpike, some lead to the bird observation deck, and the other leads to the backside of a neighborhood, all pleasant walks! There are multiple restrooms around the recreation center and also a water hose to clean off your shoes if they became muddy. You can never go wrong when visiting the center/forest. read more

Surprising little gem in Broward County. During winter months you'll have a nice place to take a calm stroll. During spring, you have a great place to hold a wedding ceremony/reception. During the summer months, look out mosquitos and other insects, but still a nice place. During the autumn months, you have a place ok between summer and winter. We attended a wedding here recently and had a great time. Security is good. The price is right. No cost to park or walk around the park. read more

I have to give it a 5, because I don't have a lot to compare it to. There many trails, a lot of information in the information center, and a beautiful walk. We have been a couple of times, and just enjoy seeing what wildlife we can. A wonderful and knowledgeable worker greeted us as we were in the information center. She told us all about different animals we may see this time of year and what different trails to take. read more

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This is one of my top 5 favorite places to do walking trails! I have came here multiple times for a cardio workout and to escape today's world for some nature and scenic views. If you're lucky you'll see wild rabbits, turtles, and cool birds. There's trails in the sun and in a forest looking setting. It can be scary walking alone because who is gonna hear you scream for your life? No one. LOL But I try to block that out of my mind when I go alone. There are dirt paths, and wood paths as well. They have what I like to call a tree house in the center, it's more of an informational center, but it's beautiful. They have water misters and shoe cleaning stations as well. Along with water fountains to refill your water bottles! read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

One of the best nature preserves in Broward County! The best part of it is the start of a long greenway/bike path that runs along a canal almost to the Everglades. There are trails in the preserve itself, but those are hiking trails, not bike trails. It's an unlikely spot for a nature preserve, just south of a slightly repurposed industrial canal and just west of the Florida Turnpike. The Turnpike makes it very easy to get there (Atlantic exit from the pike, then west on Atlantic, slightly south on Wiles). Use GPS because the entrance is little tricky. There are some very cool, low-key nature trails. This is not your wrestle-the-alligator touristy Florida nature park. It's much more of a chill, watch-the-egrets sort of place. Definitely it is not a virgin forest swamp...it's primarily left-over land which was drained for the developers in the surrounding suburbs. It's a testament to what Mother Nature does when land is left untouched for a couple of decades (even in a fully developed suburb), and it's quite cool to see. There are a couple of nice gazebos to sit by the local canal and eat your picnic. Bring food if you'll be there during a meal; otherwise not much to buy for food in the immediate neighborhood. To get there you can bike, take an Uber or take public transit. Parking is a bit tight (but hey, we have a pal who lives nearby so we exploit him LOL). Speaking of biking, one of my favorite things here is it's more or less the start of the Cypress Creek Greenway/Bike Trail. You can trek for a good 20 miles out to the edge of the Everglades, with a few minor up/around/under/over intersections with major roads. Most of the route is by the banks of an old industrial canal (see map pic). I made the 20 miles in about 1.25 hours..not bad for an old dude. My suggestion is take a mountain bike (Helga my tough German matron of a mountain bike pictured below) as there are a few bumps along the way. Don't worry on the possible chemical and radioactive residues from the old industrial canal. Soon-to-be-ex-President Trump claims that will prevent coronavirus... read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Bike path - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

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This is my go-to park for getting my steps in (mainly because it's so close to my home lol). I walk on the boardwalk because I'm just not into getting my shoes muddy. ‍ It's pretty busy on the weekends and quite quiet on the weekdays. The boardwalk is almost all shaded, which helps a little with the unbearable south Florida summer heat. They are only open from 9-5 and the walking trails close at 4:45 which is a shame, since the sun doesn't set until 8 right now. There is a small, free nature center that is closed right now due to Covid. You are supposed to wear a mask when you get 6 feet within someone. They used to do free nature walks/talks on Saturdays, but again, don't think they are doing that right now due to the 'Rona. My husband and I actually thought of having our reception here, but the upstairs reception area is in need of an update and was too big for our small party. The people that worked there were kind enough to suggest Secret Woods instead, which was really nice of them. A while back they used to do "yoga in the park" which was actually in the reception area. It was ok. One thing I found kind of odd was one day one of the rangers saw me putting my purse in the trunk of my car and strongly urged me not to do that. They said that homeless people break into cars, and if they see someone put something in their trunk they will break into the trunk. I've been here at least 100 times and have never seen any homeless people and have never had my car broken into, so I don't know. ‍ All in all, great little quiet free park. I can't speak on the foot trails though. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

The hubs and I started going to a different park every Sunday, right before this pandemic volunteer quarantine. A couple if weeks ago we came to Fern Forest, but unfortunately it was about to close. So we were only able to do the boardwalk, which is actually very nice. It's a out 1/4 mile long, and had a bit of an uphill for a tiny more resistance. We came back the the following Sunday because we liked what we saw. We came nice and early to be able to do the trail. There is plenty of parking, it has a big cultural center. It is well maintained, there is bathrooms, it's got a lot of amenities. No pets allowed though. I really like this park! It is big, with both a boardwalk and an dirt trail that has a bit of everything. We say a lot of turtles. A couple of iguanas and fishes. It is really a one stop park, it gets a lot of traffic too. Because I want to see more parks, I will continue to go to new places, but Fern Forest is one of my favorites so far. read more

Hands down, the best nature walk I've been to so far. Almost everyone was very respectful with mask wearing and social distancing. if you passed someone on the trail and they weren't able to social distance, they usually pulled up their mask as we did. I felt very comfortable regarding Covid safety precautions. The trails were amazing. I took my 5 year old grandson and according to my Apple Watch, we walked 6.5 miles. We saw 2 snakes (both in the water), an Anhinga bird, several turtles, and a woodpecker. I'm from Miami so I'm used to seeing an over abundance of iguanas which I didn't see here. This was a nice little getaway. They have a ton of boardwalks for those that are unsteady or differently abled and lots of footpaths for those that can handle them. Wear shoes that you don't mind getting muddy/dirty if you brave the footpaths. You can eat near the cars and in case you run out of drinks they have a soda machine with water and Powerade. We will definitely be returning here, especially with the nice weather we are getting. read more

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Loved it ! It was gorgeous and such a nice break from the city. I highly recommend it to everyone. I am posting some photos of nature because I was focused on the nature. You should check them out it simply check out the place. The staff was also super nice and welcoming. thanks for being amazing! read more

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Invited to attend a wedding here. Beautiful spot and scenery. Would absolutely come back to check out the trails! The only con is the parking and signage to the "hall" area was limited but over all scenic are. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

We were blessed to be able to host our wedding here! The day was absolutely beautiful! Our wedding pictures are stunning from the greenary! We had all the supplies right at our fingertips and the time allotted to set up and break it all down. Thank you! read more

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We went here walking along their elevated trail today and had a really nice time admiring all of the vegetation including many. There's also ground trails but because it rained for a couple of days they were too muddy to go on just one short ground trail we were able to walk all the way to only a couple of minutes from the nature center. read more

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Since I was unable to get into Butterfly World as I had hoped, I sought to try this park and really enjoyed it! Free to get in unless there's events. A beautiful nature park in it's true form! Great for walking or getting to know nature a little bit better. There's a choice of constructed trails or natural trails. Some wildlife. It's wheelchair accessible. Very quiet and tranquil. There's also some information and artifacts in the main house as well as space where they can offer events. If you do the natural trails. I do recommend shoes that can potentially get a little dirty. However, they have a foot/shoes wash station. And I recommend bug spray/repellent for the mosquitoes. Overall a great place to relax and breathe! read more

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We were looking for a reasonable, family friendly hike and came across Fern Forest. What a great place to get some exercise and enjoy Florida's beautiful landscape. Fern Forest is a 247 acre Designated Urban Wilderness Area with a good sized, elevated walkway. Overall, it's a pretty easy walk, not too long at all. We had a very nice time checking things out and we really enjoyed the scenery. The area is lush and full of all kinds of wildlife. Unfortunately the nature center was closed when we arrived, which is a shame since it looked like a nice spot for the kids. Maybe it'll be open soon. The bathrooms were open and were surprisingly clean. One issue is that the parking area is fairly small and it was very busy. Even though you didn't really feel like the walking trail was clogged up with visitors, the parking lot was a mess. I'd recommend visiting on off peak hours, as determined by Google Maps. All in all, great nature spot. Five stars from me. read more

It's a nice little place. The paths are plenty wide, it's evident there's a lot of foot traffic through. The trails on Prarie were kinda plain and nothing too amazing, especially once you get out of the woods. The Prarie overlook site was overrated in my opinion. I took two paths today that ended in a total dead end, I thought that was a little strange. Parking was a complete nightmare today, up to 1 hr before close. I saw there was maybe an event so I truly hope that's the reason. read more

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Great park to take a walk. One trail is a mile long and includes dirt and boardwalk trails. The other loop has dirt and gets muddy in the rainy summer. It is 1/3 mile. There is a grass trail that goes around a grassy/prairie area that is not shaded. There is a nature center with restrooms and a bathroom. Overall, a great park to spend about an hour in. read more

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I drive by this park on my way to work every morning. I never thought too much of it, but recently my Wife and I have been exploring the nature trails in our area. After having visited a few, I am happy to say Fern Forest Nature Center is one of the best. It has a lot to offer in terms of nature trails. One route is a board walk that is easy on your feet, about 1/2 mile long (with about 1/4 loop that you can do over and over), full of shade, trees, and one covered resting area. The longer trail is divided into 3 parts. The Wetland Wander Trail, the Maple Walk, and the Prairie Overlook Trail. On this visit we did the Prairie Overlook Trail and the Boar Walk, and walked a little over 3 miles before return to our car. The park has very nice Royal Fern Hall & Amphitheater. In one of the wall they have visitors photos of some of the animal encounters. In this trip we came across a Turtle by the water, and a Tortoise in the fields of Prairie. Br aware there is a sign warning visitors that Alligators, Snakes and other animals live here. Do not approach, feed, or taunt animals. If you are looking to exercise, get some fresh air, you will be hard press to find a better place than Fern Forest Nature Center. read more

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Very beautiful nice walkway which makes it great for all ages. It also has a picnic area. They do concerts there also. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

This is a little piece of heaven here in south Florida. The Nature Center is as the name implies; a center of nature. And within driving distance of the city, which is wonderful. When you pull off Lyons Road onto the property, you immediately know you're not going to be experiencing what you left behind. The trees immediately envelope you. You park your car and head to the elevated trail, and the journey begins. The path is often on an elevated walkway, but not always. You'll walk through swampy areas (actually, above them), and onto drier land but often with water nearby. There is a also a section of prairie, that is an entirely different ecosystem, but just as beautiful. There are restrooms, a vending machine for drinks, a water fountain, an information center that is small, but worth taking a tour through and hiking trails. Because it's south Florida and there is water nearby, expect that there will be mosquitoes and plan accordingly. Sprays are inexpensive and work very well. I sprayed myself before I left the house and I was not bothered by one mosquito. If you don't prepare, you'll be dinner. And watch out for the alligators. read more

Fern Forest Nature Center - The early part of the path. - Parks Near Me - Coconut Creek, Florida

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Sorry if this is a repeat review (as I thought I had typed one up already but can't find it). So here's what we experienced. The parking lot was nice and tropical. You'd think you were in a deep jungle. Yet surrounding the park are highways, homes, etc. Was nice to see the safety features there in the lot with signs and security cameras. Walk way path to the building was enjoyable with various turns and lots of lush vegetation around. But the nature center from the outside looks rather stark and somewhat industrial contemporary like. But not too out of place with its wood materials. The trails around it are well marked and provide great viewing of nature in a swampy area. Very clean of human trash, and calming. Though we did not see or hear any wild life of animals, not even birds. Still the walk around the paths was enjoyable. A very nice feature was a cool mister, which was refreshing in the heat and humidity of the day. Cool! The main downfall of this site is the interior display area of the nature center. Very worn, dirty, unkept area with broken interactive displays, dried up live plants (no one watered), empty broken pond display, old VCR not playing, etc. Very disappointing. Only nice display was of a live snake (which we hope they are taking care of and not left to die too). Even the staff didn't help make this a positive experience. We were the only ones there, and not even a greeting let alone an offer to provide input or answer any questions. Bummer. Hope they get some funding to improve as well as maintain this gem soon. read more

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We enjoyed a peaceful and almost barren (devoid of people) hike through the fern forest. They have several different paths and most of them are covered by a nice wooden boardwalk that I could even do in my flip flops (error of judgment on my part). In the middle is a nature center with a few animal skeletons and some history about the forest. Probably one of the nicest trails I've been to and not hard to hike at all! The only path we didn't try was the marsh trail which had mosquito warnings. I didn't even get bitten on any of the other trails (mosquito magnet here) so that was a plus. Great place to enjoy nature, reflect on the beauty of Florida and get a little exercise. read more

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My family loves coming here. If it's too wet, we stay on the boardwalk, it's plenty long for some exercise and lots of natural plants to look at. Sometimes you can see wild life such as foxes, squirrels, turtles, tortoises, raccoons, opossum, birds of all kinds, butterflies, caterpillars, etc! If it isn't wet, we take the trails and those are very beautiful too. There's benches all throughout Fern Forest if you find you need a break. There's even a cool observation lookout on the trails! Only open until 4 so don't delay! read more

This place feels like you are no longer in the middle of south Florida. It is super quiet with some amazing wildlife. The ferns are absolutely gorgeous. The orange trail is definitely a little muddy but luckily the mosquitos were low because this would be the perfect place for them. The white trail reminded me of hiking in Maryland where you would get a lot of rocks to walk on and over tree roots. It is about a 2.2 mile hike if you do all the trails. read more

This nature center is around the corner from my house and I have been coming here for years so it will always hold a place in my heart. I primarily come here to run. There is not a lot of visible wildlife compared to some of the other nature centers in the area although I have seen butterflies, raccoons, armadillos, and a really large land turtle on the grassy plains part in the way back. When you first enter you follow an elevated boardwalk to the two story visitors center. The lower level has a ranger station with some educational displays. To the left is an amphitheater with bench seating. On weekends I have seen folk concerts and weddings held here. Also on the lower level you will find the bathrooms and water fountains. The second floor is a reception area called Royal Fern Hall complete with a kitchen that can be rented for weddings and meetings. Every Halloween they do a nice program for the kiddies up there. Once a week they also offer yoga in the park. There is a sign advertising it at the entrance from Lyons Road. Once you go around the visitors center you will come to a small gate that will take you out to the paths. The path to the left is the Cypress Creek Trail. It is a half mile elevated boardwalk that loops back around to the start. This is the only good area for a wheelchair. The path to the right takes you over a small bridge and out to the back field and a path that goes through the woods. Here you will find the one mile Prairie Overlook Trail that has a small elevated covered observation platform with benches. Maps for everything are at the visitors center. If you come here you want to make absolutely sure that nothing is left visible in your car. There has been a number of break ins primarily taking place later in the day towards closing time when there are less people around. You also want to bring some bug spray with you especially if you plan on going through the woods. The last time I was here this month was not bad but I have been here when the mosquitoes were so thick I literally ran for my life. This a great and cheap (no fee) place to relax in nature and decompress from the stress of the work week. read more

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A delightful retreat from the heat and traffic of the city. There is a nice accessible boardwalk that winds through the "forest". Those able can hike acres of trails. Definitely a sweet spot in the city, and it's free! read more

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