This is a lovely .6 acre neighborhood park named in honor of Brian H. Peney (1968-1996) who served…read morewith the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department for six years. He was only 27 and had just passed the sergeants exam when he lost his life in the line of duty on the night of January 5, 1996. During a foot chase with a subject, patrolman Peney was shot by a bullet that entered his arm, nicked his vest, and entered his chest. He passed away during surgery on January 6, 1996. In 1996 the city of Ft. Lauderdale decided to name a park after Peney. The Bryant H. Peney Park is located at Southwest Fourth Avenue and 22nd Street. It is across the street from Lauderdale Memorial Park cemetery, where Peney is laid to rest. At the entrance to the park is a memorial to officer Peney. Park amenities include a picnic area, playground with a slide, swing, and climbing structures, and a small amphitheater with mosaic art by Rucci an established public artist who has lived in Ft. Lauderdale since 1975. Rucci has 25 Art-in-Public-Places projects on display from Philadelphia to The Florida Keys in the medium of Byzantine Style Mosaics. This is a wonderful spot to take the kids to play or to have a picnic. I can think of a number of parks in south Florida that have been named in honor of slain officers. When I learn their stories it is always a poignant reminder that not every officer gets to go home at the end of their shift.

In 1994 this 12 acre park in Dania Beach was named in honor of Dania Beach activist Patrick J Meli…read morewho spent the last years of his life maintaining it for the children in this community. Meli was a railroad engineer with Penn Central Railroad, After he retired he was the Griffin Civic Association president for 28 years and put money into improvements like the sports fields and lights. He also helped start a Crime Watch program that operated out of the park. Originally named Griffin Park, this was a Broward County park until the city voted to annex it and the surrounding areas in 1991. Meli passed away at the age of 94 on June 12, 1993. After his death the city renamed the park in honor of his contributions. This park is tucked into a residential neighborhood in Dania Beach. Park amenities include a recreation room with a full kitchen, playground, basketball court, two handball courts, tennis courts, a swimming pool, outdoor exercise equipment, and two baseball fields. While walking around for exercise I saw several other people doing the same. This park is also home to the Precious Paws Pet Park and Memorial Garden. Whether two footed or four, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this clean and well appointed park.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson Park is a hidden oasis of nature in Oakland Park that not only serves in a…read morerecreational capacity but also stands as a poignant tribute to history and heritage. The park is named in honor of African American historian and author, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was born in 1875 to illiterate parents who were former slaves. Despite an early sporadic and self taught education he entered high school at the age of 20 and completed his degree in two years. He entered college in Kentucky and then received his doctorate from Harvard. Throughout the course of his life, Woodson published many books on Black history, including the A Century of Negro Migration (1918), The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 (1919), The History of the Negro Church (1921), and The Negro in Our History (1922). After working for a number of years in the field of education Woodson became concerned that the history of black Americans was being ignored by teachers and in textbooks. He then dedicated his career to African-American history and lobbied to establish Black History Month which has been marked every February since 1976. Woodson chose February for the initial celebration to honor the birth months of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. Woodson passed away from a heart attack at the age of 74 on April 3, 1950. Dr. Carter G. Woodson Park is located in Oakland Park's historic Harlem-McBride neighborhood. This area of Oakland Park was named McBride after an Irish immigrant who bought the land in 1920. In the 1930's an influx of Black farming residents arrived from the south to the 15 block area and people started referring to it as Harlem McBride referencing the famous Black community in New York City. Today the neighborhood is seeing a surge in development. Cool bars like Funky Buddha and coffee houses are popping up and Harlem McBride has become a magnet for smaller developers and people looking for affordable land and rents in the area. Today the neighborhood is a mix of many cultures and ethnicities. Dr. Carter G. Woodson Park is a neighborhood park located next to a Baptist church that has important ties to the community. This charming neighborhood park has many amenities for the surrounding community to enjoy. The park features a walking path, lighted basketball court, horseshoe pit, picnic facilities, restrooms, and a shaded playground. Trees and well maintained landscaping add to the beauty of the park. The park has an interesting L shape which is unlike most neighborhood parks which are squares or rectangles. In 2007 the City of Oakland Park purchased two empty lots next door to give the oddly shaped park a more cohesive look. As a result the park goes much further back than you would initially think. With the land purchase the park was expanded from .85 acres to 1.25 acres. Dr. Carter G. Woodson Park is the ideal spot to take the kids to play, have a cook out, enjoy a game, or just walk for exercise. From families enjoying picnics, exercise, or just being outdoors, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Dr. Carter G. Woodson Park.

This park is named in honor of Lauderdale's arguably most famous resident, Jackie Gleason. He…read moreplayed bus driver Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners. In the 1950's through 1970, The Jackie Gleason Show was very popular. He was also a band leader who recorded many albums. Jackie Gleason loved to play golf so in 1964 he moved to Florida and brought all of his television production facilities from New York City and set them up in Miami Beach. Gleason bought a home at Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill where he resided the rest of his life until he passed away from cancer at the age of 71 in 1987. He is buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral. Things to note about the parks in Lauderdale is they are all fenced and can be locked and they do not allow dogs. Jackie Gleason Park has a lot of great amenities for the community to enjoy. These include a basketball court, benches, a gazebo, open area for play, exercise path, a new looking covered playground for ages 5 to 12, swings, and a restroom. The park also has large leafy shade trees. The nicest feature of the park for kids is the Living with Wildlife Splash Pad adjacent to the playground. The splash pad has beautiful mosaics of animals you might encounter in your neighborhood. You can turn on the water with a push of a button. It is a great place for kids to play and cool down during the hotter months.

Pond Apple Park is one of 18 parks and 9 greenways in Coconut Creek. It is named after a tropical…read morefruit tree native to Florida. This is a small neighborhood park along the banks of a canal. Park amenities include a covered playground, picnic are, and racquetball court. There isn't much to draw you to the area if you don't live here but if you are a resident of the Pond Apple neighborhood this is a nice green space to have available.

Middle River Terrace park is 3.5 acres in size. It is on the site of the former Bloom Nursery which…read morewas in operation from 1946 to 1980. The park was created between 2000 and 2001. The boundaries of the park are lined with residences in the neighborhood of Middle River Terrace, a community that is bordered by the south fork of the Middle River, Sunrise Blvd., and the Florida East Coast Railway. Park amenities include a large open space for play, an exercise trail with equipment , a free little library, a playground, and a pavilion that can be rented for private events. The park is a great recreation resource for the people who live nearby but I came to check out the historic 1916 Craftsman Bungalow that was the home of Ft. Lauderdale pioneer Annie Beck. The home was originally on Las Olas Blvd but it ended up in the park in 2008. You can only see the exterior of the house if you visit the park. It is currently occupied by a police officer and his family who agreed to live in the park to improve community relations. A 3-D tour of the house however can be found online.

Centennial Park is a neighborhood park off Royal Palm Boulevard in Margate in the Royal Springs…read moreSouth community which borders Coral Springs. Royal Springs South is made up of 265 single family homes. The community is an HOA with membership dues. The 4.2 acre Centennial Park is a basic neighborhood park. Amenities include ten parking spaces, a large open space place, basketball court, picnic table and grill, swings, a climbing structure, and bench swigs. The access point to Sunflower Lake is across the street from the park. A ten million dollar G.O. bond was passed by voters in 2018. Three million of the money from the bond was going to be used to remake the park. Upgrades scheduled for the park included a new basketball court, two pickleball courts, a tennis court, a cover for the existing playground, new equipment, and a nearby splash pad. Playground sand would be replaced with a poured-in rubber surface. Also slated to be added to the park were restrooms, a covered pavilion with seating, an exercise station, walkways, lighting, and shade trees. Sixteen more parking spaces were planned to be added to Sunflower Drive along with a canoe/ kayak launch added to Sunflower Lake. When Royal Springs South residents founded out about the upgrades planned for the park they protested. They didn't want elements added to the park that would attract people from outside the community to the park. They were especially worried about restrooms attracting homeless people to the park. To date the project has been downsized to only include one covered pavilion, a walking trail, a covered playground with rubber surfacing, and a new basketball court. Even though a compromise was reached last year, construction of the new amenities still hasn't begun. It will be interesting to see if Margate if able to make any changes to this outdated park.

This park was named for Pompano pioneer Robert aka Bob McNab who came south after the frost of 1899…read morein Central Florida with his brother Harry. Harry was a city councilman and banker who opened the first movie theater and ran the post office and grocery store while brother Bob spearheaded the city's agriculture and commercial development. The brothers made their fortune in farming which enabled them to own most of old Pompano. They were the first people to own an automobile and have electric lights. I stopped by because I noticed the beautiful large Christmas tree that the city had set up in the park. They also added decorations that light up at night. While it was beautiful display I felt uncomfortable because they were at least 20 homeless people in the small area of the park. At least one was smoking pot right next to a toddler. As I was leaving I ran into a security guard who told me the homeless could be there and it seems like they have made it their gathering spot. It's sad that the homeless of Pompano can't get better services to help them off the street. The city could have saved the money of the decorations and put it towards that. The really ironic thing is the park is directly behind the Pompano Beach visitors center. I don't think this is the welcoming look of Pompano that they wish to convey to tourists. Although I can't recommend a visit the park it also has a clubhouse, tennis and racquetball courts, basketball court, and a children's playgrounds but honestly take your kids somewhere else.