I used to live but a stone's throw from this glorious little park and made a point of walking…read morethrough it every day on the way to work - a little slice of wonderment minutes before hitting the big ugly backside of the city. Many glorious summer afternoons were spent on this (shockingly) well maintained and lovely little island of peace mere moments away from the hustle and bustle of the Printworks side of town - I'd often sneak down with my guitar and a couple of cold ones (shh don't tell anyone) to play the evening away. The park is obviously a favourite with local residents too - which is unsurprising when so much of the surrounding area is made up of converted mills and the like - which leads to it feeling nicely appreciated but never overcrowded in the warm balmy summer evenings. It's not just a pretty little park though, there's bags of history in its 7.4 acres and there's enough helpful but unobtrusive signs around to make sure you're fully apprised of the fact that... there used to be a church exactly where you're stood. Wow! I even saw someone walking their cat on a lead here once; if that's not a testament to quality, then I don't know what is... Wait hang on... who walks a cat?!

This lovely, small sea of rolling green grass sits a short walk from my flat, and provides an oasis…read moreof calm when faced with the bustling city centre just a few streets away. It was recently restored to the tune of several hundred thousand pounds, but the result is simple and peaceful. There are just a few benches, paths and sparingly planted trees on this old site that used to house a church and was on the edge of the Victorian slums that took over the surrounding streets during the industrial revolution. The park is seen as the "gateway to the Irk Valley," an area of green that allows you to follow the river through the heart of North Manchester. For me, it's a great place to do a spot of sledging in the snow or to get some fresh air every once in a while.

Don't call it a comeback,i've been here for years!…read more Hey,hey folks,it's me! Back from the dead again. What's 4 years of inactivity between friends? Nothing,that's what! So what have you all been up to? Nothing? I wish I never asked...... I figured I should make a comeback with The Gardens,not the surrounding bits but the gardens themselves. I'm one of those lost souls that you have probably tutted at on a Saturday afternoon as you walk past PG and see the whole of humanity laid bare before you. People with dogs? Check. Surly teens? Check. One legged pigeons? Check. A dude shouting about Jesus through a megaphone? Check. People showing that Spice is the variety of life? Check. Little kids playing in the fountains? Oddly,check. Me,Mrs Z and some of our friends who have popped into Morrisons for some cans before probably heading to a gig somewhere to get our Metal on? Check.. I love people watching and the gardens is the best place to do it on a nice sunny afternoon (both of them)... It's a bit (a lot) different after dark so should only be tackled by experienced moody dodgers.. The Manc microcosm..

I walked past here during my time in Manchester. I did not know what it's called untill now :)…read more i was here during summer so it was full of people and rides. The metro trams go through which I think looks good. I never stayed for long so I don't know much else around. Looks like a good place to sit and just relax, watching people, have your sandwich and watching the trams go by.

Sandhills is one of the small parks near to where I live that I love to have a wonder about on a…read moresunny Sunday. It's part of the Irk Valley redevelopment project. It actually used to be a quarry, 's just a pleasant sweeping field of lush, green grass. It's perfect for walking the dog or for having a short stroll. Exactly what a park should be good for. Obviously at night time it's a place for young 'uns to have a drink from a plastic bottle of cider, but during the day it's a nice place to get some fresh air. This park isn't suitable for football though - it's on a big hill!

The Sackville gardens are now filled with those lapping up the sun, idyllic. This nice piece of…read moregreenery near the Piccadilly station and Canal Street is a perfect haven for the students at the North campus, the average shopper or stroller by. Ran by the Friends of Sackville Gardens, a voluntary group set up in 2008 consisting of residents and general volunteers, the gardens remain a great place to relax. In 2006 it was awarded a Green flag award which recognises quality in parks around England and Wales. I definitely encourage those walking near by just to stop by and have a sit in the gardens.

Okay so it's not exactly Central Park but this small garden which is located almost exactly half…read moreway between Oxford Rd and Piccadilly train stations has a great bench and memorial to Alan Turing the mathematician and pioneer of computer science.

This is a quiet spot to sit on one of the benches and admire the well kept grass, shrubs and…read moreflowers. World Museum visitors exploring the history of ancient Egypt sitting and eating their sandwiches are probably unaware of the amount of local history that surrounds them here. St John's memorial gardens opposite St Georges Hall is the site of an old church. Tens of thousands of bodies were buried at the site until the cemetery was closed and the gardens opened in 1904. It's a small but beautiful open green area that was designed to show off public works of art. The Victorian/Edwardian statues commemorate people that have helped the City of Liverpool such as ship owners, school masters, politicians and soldiers. You will also find memorials to John Lennon and the inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In all the garden has 23 memorials.

The number of times I've walked past, around, near, St John's and I don't ever think to walk…read morethrough. So momentous the occasion is today, with the sun rays shining down at long last, I paced my way through to see what lies within this green haven. It's a park located in the city centre, so you're not going to expect acres of land, a vast array of wildlife, kids running around and swings and sand pits. It's a simple piece of greenery amongst the city centre block of flats, rows of solicitor buildings and the Spinningfields complex. I can see how it is the escape from the bustle, traffic and people you get if you just step onto Deansgate. It does exude a calming feel although I'm aware of what lies just a few second away. At 10am there were a few dwellers on the benches taking this all in. It serves it purpose well. Living in one of these flats myself, this is my new back garden.

On Yelp I mentioned that vast, multi-acre beast that is Heaton Park. If you can't bear to travel…read morethat far for greenery and perhaps suffer from severe agoraphobia, you might be more comfortable in Parsonage Gardens. This tiny, adorable and gated park lies just behind Kendal's and Stitches to the right of Revolution. It's delightful. When I worked a hellish retail job at House of Fraser, this was my go-to in the summer months when I'd brought a packed lunch. I'd spend a tranquil hour sat on one of the benches, realising that practically everybody in there between the hours of 12-2pm was a member of staff at Kendal's too. It's a great place to read a book, while away the hours and completely relax. I find that if you get completely overwhelmed on Deansgate with its office hustle and bustle, this is a fantastic little calm oasis to escape to. The only things surrounding Parsonage Gardens are a few office buildings and some apartments which overlook it. I've never found it to be crowded despite its size, merely dotted with individuals up for some short-term chillaxing. It's so small that I wouldn't recommend it for dog-walking or jogging. You'd have to encircle it at least twenty times to even count it as exercise. But for a peaceful spot to eat lunch, cuddle up with a loved one or reflect on one's life, I'd say pull up a bench, gaze at the pretty trees and let the relaxation wash over you.

Nice green area in city centre with plenty of benchesread more

When I lived in Whitworth Park (the halls, for I am not a vagrant) my parents came to pick me up on…read morethe way up to visit family in the north-east. Due to the fact that my Mum is always early and my Dad is always thrifty, they had brought a picnic and suggested eating it in the park. The problem was that it was March and not even a particularly warm or dry March, so we huddled up against each other and sat on a cold, graffitied bench and ate our tuna sarnies. That was the only picnic I've eaten in Whitworth Park and pretty much the only time I've sat down in there. On the other occasions I was put off by the combination of tramps, builders and school kids, which made it hard to relax. I found it much more pleasant to sit in Whitworth Park (the halls) or walk for 20 minutes to Platt Fields Park. But still, I quite like this park. It is a nice green break from the monotony of curry houses (if approaching from Rusholme direction) and university buildings (if approaching from other direction). I just want to know how they keep on putting the cone back on top of King James' head. Anyone?

After trekking around, looking for a place to relax, I saw this well-sized park and figured it'll…read moredo. And it did! Fairly decently sized, this is a good park right near the university that offers visitors the chance to choose from a plethora of space. Thankfully, my visit did not coincide with hordes of screaming children, so I was able to stroll about and find a seat and enjoy a quiet park. Even sitting next to the playground I was free of yelling and gallivanting children. Although there was a random woman who walked up to the Hamster Wheel and decided she needed a workout (she seriously just walked in it for a couple minutes like it was a treadmill...see my photo for proof!). Granted, this time of year the ground was a bit wet and muddy, but I think this could be a lovely space on a warm (and dry) day to just sit under a tree and breathe the fresh air.

Undoubtedly my favourite park in Manchester. There is everything: trees, flowerbeds, a little lake,…read moretables to have a picnic, benches. Also, there's usually plenty of events going on, such as markets, cricket matches and other cultural or social activities. It is the ideal place to do sport. Running is a standard thing to do, and it is possible to find some panels around the park which show the various lengths for the paths you can choose, so that you are always able to figure out which distance you have covered. There is a cricket pitch, where local teams plays over summer, and four tennis courts, which can be booked online for free. In most cases there are a few available, so you can just turn up and play, but especially on weekends I would recommend to book in advance. Recently I have noticed that a ping pong table has been installed close to the tennis courts. Close to the lake there is a cafe that is actually run by Tea Hive, the coffee shop in Chorlton. On weekends it is open until 5pm, while on weekdays it closes at 4.30pm.

In the whole of the United Kingdom, Alexandra Park Manchester comes second! Yep, that's rights, out…read moreoff the whole country, it's the second best... in the category 'parks called Alexandra Park'. Beaten only by its London rival Alexandra Park, which features miles of hills and a palace, this medium sized green space in Moss Side can hardly complain about its ranking. Plus it couldn't complain anyway because its a park not a person. Apparently the park was an important space in the Victorian period, but I've forgotten what it was like then, so I'll just focus on the now. Basically it's a big green space with some nice paths to stroll around and a nice little lake. More impressively is the fact that it plays home to an annual Caribbean Carnival! Less impressive that that but still worth of note is that it host many amateur football games an an annual 5K run. For this kind of thing you'll want the athletics webpage rather that the park one displayed above, that's at : www.openathletics.org.

Ardwick Park is a thin strip of green right by the busy A6 dual carriageway near Manchester Apollo…read more In the middle of the park there is a small kids play area which is great for all the children from the nearby housing estates. The criss-crossing paths all over this park are perfect for a short walk and a bit of fresh air. There are plenty of trees and green grass but not a fancy flower bed in sight. It's not the place to go for an afternoon picnic or for a lengthy stroll, purely because of the fact that it's not very big and it's by a main road.

I must say I think three stars is generous here. I don't know why anyone would want to visit…read moreArwdick Park at all, ever. As Sam says, its alongside a motorway. Also, the area looks dangerous and there are often bull dogs (also known as weapons) knocking about in the park. The swings look dangerous too, and swings are rubbish anyway. There's one nice tree. If you have to pass through, do it quickly.