07/01/07

Great little local park in the heart of the Short North

by cowtownjake

This is a pretty little park with a waterlily pond and gazebo near the North East corner with a few scattered picnic tables around. There are benches near the pond. A kids' play area with a shelter and picnic tables are tucked back in the South West corner. There are also tennis courts and a basketball court back in that corner. It's very dog and kid and GLBT friendly. :) This is the home of the Community Festival for the last 35 years with all of it's funkified music, foods from local restaurants and any left leaning political activism you can think of. It's a nice place to eat your lunch in good weather, or walk around the paved paths and people watch. This park is right behind the heart of the Short North area, famous for it's first Saturday of the month Gallery Hop, so parking gets tight on first Saturdays around dinnertime.

• Pros: Very nice park, well maintained. Tall trees, mellow people abound and lots of doggie play dates happening. Usually pretty easy to find parking.
• Cons: Dogs are almost always off leash, so if you have a thing about dogs running up to you, be ready for that.

The Short North's 33-acre park is a terrific place to throw down your blanket and spend the day.

by Contributor

The Grounds
Picnic under the sun or, if it's raining, under the open picnic shelter. Check out the wedding gazebo; this fantastic structure is the perfect site for an urban wedding. Kids will love this park, not only for its wide-open areas, but also for its modern playground equipment. The activity-minded will enjoy Goodale's tennis and basketball courts. On the edge, a stocked pond provides tranquility to an already relaxing environment.

Local Events
Goodale Park is also one of the sites for the Music in the Air series and is the home of the Community Festival. This popular annual gathering allows the community to celebrate its diversity through an array of street vendors and artistic performances.

08/30/02

Franklin Park has much more to offer

by jhl1

Franklin Park and Conservatory comprises 98 acres in the middle of the city. The conservatory maintains 33 of these acres as beautiful floral gardens tended to all season long for nearby residents and visitors to appreciate. The conservatory's palm house and seasonal display are free to the public all year long. These combined with the beautiful falls at the southwest corner of the park make Franklin Park a much more inviting and restful place that Goodale's crowded 33 acres.

• Pros: close to shops, tennis courts, concets
• Cons: crowded, to many dogs, litter, weeds