Right before you get to Harvard University, you'll find a large park with a giant Civil War…read moreMemorial, several other statues, and benches. It's more quiet and less touristy compared to Harvard Yard.

Cambridge Common park has seen a good bit of history, starting way back in the Revolutionary War…read more Tip: George Washington assembled his 1st troops for the Continental Army here This is now a public park that's got a playground and a couple of memorials - the Irish Famine Memorial and the Civil War Memorial. It's a good place to take a break while touring.

Big grassy space in front of the Cambridge Public Library. No ball playing allowed, but perhaps…read morethat doesn't include a good Frisbee. It's well maintained and on a sunny day like today, worth sitting on the benches to get some Vitamin D. The library's completely free wifi extends to some of those benches too. [Review 10117 overall, 1703 of 2018.]

This is a very nice park with a playground nearby. It gets busy on summer weekends but you can…read moreusually find a a good space. Not too many trees for shade though so remember to bring some SPF!

Solid little park. Theres a brand new track. At least 5 sport fields. Picnic tables. A small…read moreplayground. A water fountain to play in. You can walk around the perimeter. Great place to hang out.

This expansive park offers a diverse selection of sports fields, delightful walking and running…read morepaths, as well as ample parking space. Accessing the park is convenient and there are numerous activities available to make the most of your visit.

My family and I visited Fresh Pond for the first time and it was beautiful. We were lucky to have…read morefound street parking right across from the Trader Joe's. The loop was well paved in most areas and there were a couple off trails that were a nice surprise. It was pretty crowded even for a "not so great weather day" so I can imagine how busy it gets on a nice day. Loved how it was a dog friendly place. Most people didn't have their dogs on leash. This is great for families who feel comfortable with it but imagine it could be an issue for others. We will definitely be back!

Beautiful, well-maintained park, with a designated bike lane and separate walking path, which I…read moreLOVED - always less stressful for all parties knowing you have your own literal lane. The surroundings are gorgeous, I especially liked the smaller pond further off (think it's called Little Fresh Pond/Dog Beach on the map), with a peaceful seating area. When I went during the day, I didn't see a ton of other people milling about (lots of doggo's merrily bounding about). The one star off is for the parking situation. I actually tried coming here twice before finally succeeding. The first time, I found the nearby rotaries too daunting and gave up and went home. The second time, we finally conquered the rotaries but pulled into the parking lot right by the park to find resident only signs plastered everywhere. Seriously? No non-resident access even for one day out of the week? So here's a tip. On my third try, I just parked in the nearby Whole Foods lot and walked over. It was about five minutes with a sidewalk but I wasn't a fan of having to cross a super busy road to get into the park. Better than nothing, I guess. I've also heard there's street parking on the south end of the pond but you might need to do some circling.

There's a reason why all the other posts are at dusk or winter. There is NO shade. Summer visits…read morein the afternoon are not recommended unless you are a lizard. Otherwise, it would be nice to walk along the river.

Riverbend Park is perfect for getting out for some exercise. The park includes segment ofMemorial…read moreDrive which is closed on Sundays for those people wishing to take advantage of it. I like my walks during the week where I can enjoy the river. Out for some exercise. Try Riverbend park.

Came here for kayaking. Brought own kayak. There are several places to launch kayaks…read more Also you can rent kayak or canoe here. Plenty of benches and parking. Con: lots of poops from dogs and/or birds on the grass. Don't want to lay down there.

Continuing along the Esplanade to Allston/Brighton you'll come to this sweet green whose gorgeous…read moregrounds offer playgrounds, boating, a public theater and even community gardens! I'm sure the path is scenic and pleasant from downtown, but I wouldn't know because let's be honest, the loop is 18 miles. Think I've ever bladed it all? Right. So while it's a ways out and not super easy to reach by public transit, the parking lot is huge and attractions abundant.

Spotted this beautiful gem of a park while driving around looking for places to photograph foliage…read morein autumn splendour. Named for the restored stone built powder magazine from 1818, this lovely oasis sits astride the Charles river and and is home to a couple rowing clubs. There is a fair amount of parking and the trees were magnificent. Saw many people out and about enjoying the scene but it wasn't crowded. Plenty of personal space to wander around without disturbing your neighbor. Definitely recommend..

Pretty awesome for a public swimming pool. It's free (yay!), the pool is huge and clean, and…read morethere's a nice review of the river. Plus you can picnic or grill outside the pool area. On the negative side, they're now pretty strict about their no food/drink policy, parking sucks for non-cambridge residents, the bathroom cleanliness ranges from alright to scary (depends on how crowded it is, like all DCR facilities) and if someone throws up (or does something else) they shut it down for the rest of the day. Tips: 1. if you're coming on a summer weekend when the odds of a kid dirtying the pool up are pretty high go right when it opens 2. Bring a handled bag to carry your stuff so you can hang it on the bathroom/changing room door because you don't want to think about it even touching the floor 3. Bring only what you can eat outside or keep a cooler in your car for leftovers. 4. Parking can be tricky and the TJ's lot tows so if you're a Cambridge resident with a sticker park on Magazine St. If you're not, have someone drop you off/pick you up or park in/take T to Central Sq. and take an Uber X there (about $5 one way) 5. Bring a chair. Laying on a towel on the concrete isn't so comfy and people swarm the few benches they have.

Review is for the dog park only. Unfortunately, despite having a fenced in resource where dogs are…read moreallowed to fly off leash, many people use the baseball field adjacent to this field to run their dogs. This is especially dangerous for someone who hopes to walk safely with a dog reactive dog on a leash in this general area. Additionally, like any neighborhood dog park, there seems to be a community of people who frequent this one regularly, at least before work hours. One, with a larger breed dog, was completely indifferent when his dog escalated playtime with my dog and tried to bite him, definitely scaring him. Given that I have encountered dogs that are not necessarily well behaved coupled with the fact that this area is often full of awful leash dogs running where they should not be (recently, I had been going there again because there is a fence limiting pedestrian traffic on the fields, possibly due to some landscaping work). I could not report this incident animal control because my dog was not bitten/had his skin broken, but the rude face the other owner made to me and his dismissive nature of my concern was alarming. There are absolutely some dog parks people go to to just ignore their dogs when they have too much energy, and unfortunately this, like the one on Putnam Street, is becoming that.

Amazing spot for kids of all ages! There is play area for smaller kids next to the Albert…read moreArgenziano school. Across from the kiddie playground, there is a second playground for older kids (simple obstacle course kind). When you look across the field, you will find a fantastic play area with long slides and ninja type obstacle course. I want to be a kid again! I think I saw about 20 parking spaces? I also saw a mini splash pad/water area but it was not turned on when I was there. Basketball court is available too.