Here are some of my favorite green spaces in Orlando, organized for maximum efficiency to get outside as soon as possible.

Last month, at Creative Mornings, a Rollins College urban planner named Bruce Stevenson laid out some of his plans for making Orlando more awesome...which apparently means, "a lot more like Portland" (my paraphrase). He said that one of the big catalysts for healthy city development is the presence (and addition) of city parks.

That got me thinking about the current city parks in Orlando, and how vital they are to me, helping me slow down in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the expansive cityscape. So, in honor of them, here is a list of some of the best city parks in the greater Orlando area:

DOWNTOWN AREA
Greenland Urban Wetlands—I mostly love this place because although it's not perfect, nobody knows about it. When I go there, I feel like I'm somewhere hidden in the city, and because of that, it's a great place to stop and think.

Dickson Azalea Park/Mayor Carl T Langford—Dickson Azalea is charming garden that you can't really experience unless you get off the street and descend into the riverside park. Langford abuts Dickson Azalea and has great fields and forests to explore and run around.

Lake Eola Park—Iconic for Orlando, and truly beautiful, though not a lot of places to have solitude.

Other notable downtown parks:
Al Coith Park/Cherokee Park/Lake Davis Park

WINTER PARK/MAITLAND
Kraft Azalea Gardens—The overall best in town. Hidden in Winter Park. It's small, but tranquil. And definitely beautiful. I've witnessed many glorious sunrises and sunsets here, and experienced numerous hammock naps and paddleboard launches here.

Maitland Arts Center—The most delightful courtyard is in Maitland. Used to promote the arts via classes and events, the place is art itself: twenty buildings all surrounded by a wall and a garden area at the center in old Spanish/native Florida design. If I could design a commune for some of my closest friends and myself, it'd look something like this place.

Mead Gardens—A surprisingly quiet area tucked away underneath old live oak trees and on some slow-moving water. A peaceful place to spend your lunch, or have a picnic.

Other Notables
Martin Luther King Park (previously named Big Island Park and Sink Hole Park), Ward Park, Park Avenue, Lake Lilley Park

COMMUNITIES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN
Loch Haven Park—Unheralded, but subtly spectacular. It has big trees (including my favorite in town, a live oak I call "Virginia" that was a sapling when the Declaration of Independence was signed), wide open grassy space, three lakes with quiet places to sit, and is surprisingly enjoyable for the traffic that frequents by. It's a great place to get lost with the city happening around you.

Gaston Edwards Park—Small. Narrow, actually. But this park, on the eastern shore of Lake Ivanhoe, is a great place to watch the sunset, play volleyball with some friends, or just go for a walk. I love coming here to run barefoot on the rolling grass.

Blue Jacket Park—The biggest in town, designed with space from the previously-vacated naval base, (along with the rest of Baldwin Park). It has a beautiful fountain, ample fields to play in, and just a whole lot of space. While there, I've seen people play just about every sport or extra-curricular activity you could think of.

Other Notables
Lake Ivanhoe Park, Leu Gardens (exquisite, but I doubt that it's legal to climb any trees in there, so major negative points for that)

WESTSIDE
Dr. Phillips Community Park—I'm still caught up on the fact that it has a water park that I can play in. Difficult to top that. But it also has some great fields and is relatively quiet—tucked away off the road.

Turkey Lake Park—A large park with much to offer, from trails to open space, to camp sites, frisbee golf, a pool, and the list goes on. It costs a few dollars to enter, and that's a deterrent to many. But it shouldn't be. You can even camp here.

Other Notables
Liberty Park, Shadow Bay Park

SOUTH
Cypress Grove Park—Another fairly spacious park, with plenty of room to play on a field, amidst the trees, or survey the gorgeous home on the lake.