It is almost impossible to find a great urban neighborhood without a great park nearby. The relationship is so reliable that we use park quality as a proxy for neighborhood quality when we’re evaluating a city we don’t know.
A great park does several things at once: it gives residents somewhere to walk a dog, jog, picnic, read a book, have a difficult conversation, or just be alone in public. Cities that have these spaces in abundance produce richer street life around them — the cafés on the park’s edge are always the best in the neighborhood, the apartments around it are the most desirable, the kids who grow up nearby end up coming back as adults.
Our favorite urban parks worldwide: Buttes-Chaumont (Paris, 19th); Yoyogi Park (Tokyo); Prospect Park (Brooklyn); Park Güell and Ciutadella (Barcelona); Englischer Garten (Munich); Bois de la Cambre (Brussels); the Royal Parks of London (Hampstead Heath above all); Vondelpark (Amsterdam); Stanley Park (Vancouver); Parque México (Condesa, Mexico City); Lumphini (Bangkok); Centennial Park (Sydney); High Park (Toronto).
When you’re evaluating a neighborhood you might stay in, find the nearest park on a map. If the park is small, ugly, or fenced off, the neighborhood will probably feel similar. If the park is large, well-maintained, and full of locals at all hours, the neighborhood will too.