“There are 39 great parks in Vancouver” is a bold and silly claim to make, but this is a bold and silly exercise, so let’s elaborate.

There were 39 parks in our scoring that got at least 29 points, and a certain point it became pretty clear that anything with at least 29 points was the type of place we would actively want to come back to. Some of these parks were solid across the board — plenty to do with no weak aspects — while some of them had one or two special calling cards. 

Harbour Green is definitely in the latter category: there’s no playground and there’s not really any opportunity to play sports, unless you’re doing something relatively small on the long thin stretch of grass between the seawall and the condos. 

But it’s that long stretch of grass and seawall, the eastern tip of Stanley Park beckoning in the distance, the glass towers to the south and floating Chevron gas station to the north, the Convention Centre to the east and boats on the west, the bikes whizzing by and the tourists taking selfies, all of it comes together in this expression of pure Vancouverness, which is to say uniquely beautiful, used as a generic modern waterfront in untold film productions, and partly funded by developers.

George Park isn’t going to wow anybody on first impression — but it’s quietly one of the best small inland parks in the city. 

Truth be told, it’s pretty straightforward: the west side is a basic sports field, nothing more, and the east side has a solid playground, a covered picnic area and some rolling hills. 

That covered picnic is weirdly rare to find in Vancouver, and worth big bonus points just for that. The playground is starting to get into middle age, but is quite extensive and will keep most kids 6-10 entertained for a good half hour. 

And those rolling, mogul like hills in the back are a treat, protected by trees and creating a secret garden ambiance (the trees bordering the entire park also contribute to the feeling as well).

All of these are reasons why George is a great, well thought out park. 

Another reason is that after a warm summer evening where we relaxed after a few hours of park exploration, two of the people in this project told us they were expecting their first child together. 

A reminder that the parks we remember fondly often have little to do with design, and a lot to do with the people we share them with.

It was front page news in 1928.

“Harvey Hadden, Pioneer Investor in Vancouver, Presents Park to City,” the Vancouver Daily Province effused. “Donates Two Whole Blocks of Land Fronting On English Bay…Dedicated Specifically To Women And Kiddies.”

A prominent landowner, Hadden purchased the property from the Canadian Pacific Railway company (which owned huge amounts of Vancouver well into the 20th century), and quickly gave it to the city, which is among the more altruistic reasons for having a park named after yourself.

You would hope the park named for the best neighbourhood in Vancouver (according to some yahoo’s exhaustive project) would be very good, and indeed Mount Pleasant Park is. 

At just one city block it is not particularly large, but one thing we noticed again and again is that park planners in Vancouver did better work when land was at a premium. 

And so there’s a community garden in the northeast section, a basketball court in the northwest, a playground and small skateboard park in the southwest, and a lawn in the middle, multiple paths going throughout to make it easy for folks to get to their destination of choice. All very utilitarian, but well done, clear detail put into each part, with excellent splashes of colour and a sense of internal geography to the park.

There is nothing especially special about Trafalgar Park from a design standpoint: it’s a big park with a bunch of big fields that are good to play sports.

There are a few things that elevate it though. One is the hedge-covered fence for the main baseball field; a neat old-school touch in a city where many of the fields have a samey quality. There’s also a cricket pitch, one of just five in the city. 

Those elements, plus washrooms, go a long way, but it’s the playground that is the big selling point — while technically in the elementary school boundaries and paid for by parents, it blends into the park such that there is no discernible difference. 

And it’s a great playground! Potentially the best on the west side of the city (most of the modern play spaces have gone to the eastside and downtown in the last 20 years because of population trends), with a triple slide structure and one of the biggest climbing diamonds around. 

Plus, there’s the visual of the houses on top of Arbutus Ridge peering down at the park, giving a unique vibe compared to many inland parks that are more geographically bland. 

There are a few non-destination neighbourhood parks in the city that are a bit more extensive, or slightly more vibrant, but it’s hard to find much wrong with Trafalgar — and a lot to find that’s good.

Yes, it’s called West Point Gray Park. Not Trimble Park, even though it’s on Trimble Street, even though people call it Trimble Park, even though the biggest annual community event (the Point Grey Fiesta) advertises itself as being at Trimble Park, even though the City of Vancouver itself acknowledges that’s what it’s often called. 

Get that annoyance out of your system, and it’s an excellent example of the city’s “big old field” template.

Part of that comes from the park being on top of a cliff leading to the Jericho Lands, allowing expansive views of downtown and the North Shore. But it’s also because of clever design choices, like a basketball court separating the two baseball fields, or a tall row of trees separating the green space from the playground area. 

(That playground area is fine enough — while the main play equipment is dated, there is a lot of it, and there’s a newer mini-rock climbing wall that is also lots of fun).

And part of the appeal frankly comes from the sheer number of amenities available. In fact, outside of Stanley, it’s one of only six parks in the city with washrooms, tennis and basketball courts, fields for baseball and general sports, and a playground. 

Add in a great lawn bowling facility and a lack of any real noise, and it’s clear why it has a great reputation, by any name you call it.

All of that is to say that Creekside Park, sitting right to Science World, sitting right next to False Creek, with a walking path on one side and a bike path on the other, well, it has a lot of built-in advantages. 

But even if you’re not enjoying the view and its symbolic joy, there are things to do, mostly if you’re a kid. The playground was renovated a few years ago, and is top-tier, with arguably the best slide in the city roaring down from a sort of fake tree fort high in the air.

It’s also worth mentioning a number of smaller slides and swings, a zip line and a little sandy area, all designed to be as accessible as possible — the only drawback being a lack of a spray park, just how busy it gets, and a minimal amount of sitting areas for adults. 

And ultimately, it’s the lack of things for adults to do that holds Creekside back from being a Top-10 park: unless you want to compete with the geese for room on the lawn to suntan, there’s not to do. 

Luckily, the conversion of Concord Pacific’s endless parking lots next to Creekside into a pop-up park has finally happened, and that has provided adults with a much better space to enjoy themselves (Ping pong tables! Fancy chairs! Benches galore!), but that’s not actually in the park.

The limited space is well-designed though, particularly how the bike path loops behind the park. And on a summer night, with the sun setting slowly behind Science World, False Creek, downtown, and the expanse of ocean behind it all? 

You understand a little bit why this city entrances — and why this exact spot was designed as one of its main selling points.  

There’s nothing amazing about Prince Edward Park, which is why you’ll never see it in a touristy promotional campaign. It’s a neighbourhood park next to an elementary school, where the grass slopes down from the street and a large field is the centrepiece. You know, a Vancouver park.  

Despite the lack of bells and whistles, there is plenty that’s very good. For kids, there’s solid play equipment for all ages, including a climbing triangle, three slides and some fake drums. And there’s a fun mushroom-themed spray park that may not excite the older ones, but has an excellent vibe to it.

For adults, there’s a serviceable field for soccer or baseball, and a number of places with strategically placed trees and boulders for general chillaxing.

For everyone, there’s a field house with washrooms and generous fountains. 

Add in a community garden, and a few random pieces of fitness equipment, and you’ve got pretty much the platonic ideal of a sneakily good neighbourhood park; a community space that pretty much anyone can use for all sorts of purposes.