John F. Collins Park Philadelphia
A hidden pocket park
Right near the corner of 17th Street on Chestnut, the John F. Collins Park is a serene little oasis in the busiest part of Philly.
Just the width and depth of a single building, this park packs in several cafe tables, benches, fountains, gardens and trees. I usually come here in the morning after grabbing a bagel from Chestnut St. Bagels next door. Or, if I've been walking around on a hot day and need a shady place to rest for a little while, this is the spot!
I really appreciate how clean and well-kept this park is, and there are always flowers of some sort in bloom from spring to fall.
Make sure you check out the incredibly ornate iron gate entrance to the park on Chestnut St. called the Wissahickon Gate - it's a piece by late local artist Christopher T. Ray and depicts the flora and fauna of the nearby Wissahickon Valley. The gate on the other end of the park on Ranstead Street, also by Ray, is called the Estuary Gate and depicts marshland plants and animals of coastal New Jersey and Delaware.
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