Miami River Rapids Park is a pocket park across from the Miami River. Pocket parks are generally…read moreless than a half acre in size and can have different amenities for the public. This type of mini park arose from a desire in communities to have places for kids to play instead of another building or wasted vacant land. This small park is located on the north fork of the Miami River which drains out of the Everglades and runs 5.5 miles through downtown Miami before ending at the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay. The park and this area of Miami takes it's name from when the river was in its natural, unaltered state. The river used to have rapids formed by water from the Everglades flowing over a rocky ledge four miles from its mouth. The rapids were removed when the Miami Canal was dredged in an attempt to drain the wetland. The park is just down the street from the $750 million dollar Tides and Moorings at River Rapids, a two building, 593 unit development being built. Next to the park is the Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services, Miami's only 24 hour/ 7 day a week youth shelter and family crisis center. The park has a basketball hoop, tables and chairs, and a sand volleyball court for use by the children being serviced by the center.

Griffing Park is the Veteran's Park that every town has. It has a clock, a fountain, and a few…read moresmall plaques recognizing the sacrifices of our soldiers. There is a community center across the street and a wide open field for play and exercise. Griffing Park takes it's name from Arthur Merlow Griffing who came to this area from New York in the 1920's during Florida's land boom years. He established a nursery and worked as the landscaper on developer Carl Fisher's projects. When demand for land became high he subdivided and sold off his tomato fields which became the development of Biscayne Park. The town was incorporated in 1931 and the name of the town was changed to the Village of Biscayne Park. There isn't much to draw someone here from outside the neighborhood but what caught my eye and why I stopped is the display of mass graves set up to honor people lost to Covid. This is the second memorial of it's kind set up in Miami. The first was erected on October 14, in Simonhoff park in Liberty City. So far more than 3,600 people have died from the Corona virus in Miami Dade County and 231,000 people have succumbed across the nation. The display in Griffing Park was put together by Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin and U.S. Representative Frederika Wilson. They put up the display to provide a place for people to grieve and to remind everyone what is happening in their community. They hope that the display will encourage people to wear their masks and save lives. This moving memorial will remain up through the month of November. Three stars for the park but five stars for the display.

A nice little park. It has a strip of grass with picnic areas and an enclosed dog park. The…read morehighlight is the fishing pier that juts over Biscayne Bay. No restrooms. The water fountain doesn't work.

Visited this park for a Caribbean heritage event with the city. Very clean park with views of the…read morewater. Not sure jow parking works there was no real parking g for the actual park. But you can park across the street at the plaza.

Splash pad closed / out of order in the middle of summer. Would be great if the commissioner…read moreaddressed this for the community

Juan Pablo Duarte (January 26, 1813 - July 15, 1876) was one of the founding fathers of the…read moreDominican Republic. He was a Dominican military leader, writer, activist, and nationalist politician. He joined forces with military general Ramon Matias Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez. The trio organized and promoted the Trinitario movement which eventually led to the Dominican revolt and independence from Haitian rule in 1844. Duarte paid a heavy price for his patriotism and he lost his wealth and was forced into exile, living in Venezuela until his death. Today Duarte's birth is commemorated by Dominicans every January 26. This park is located in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, known for its large Dominican population.. The settlement of the Dominican community in Miami started in the 1960s and strengthened in the 1990's. Allapattah became the go to area for Dominican food items and culture. To honor the Dominican community Comstock Park and NW 17th Avenue were renamed in the 1990's to honor Juan Pablo Duarte. In 2003 the City of Miami named a portion of Allapattah "Little Santo Domingo." Today Pablo Duarte Park is one of Allapattah's favorite hangouts. In the park there is a memorial to its namesake. There is a community center that offers programs for after school, youth basketball, and camps. There are large trees and open space to play. A small outdoor gym is available for exercise and a jogging trail circles the park. There is also a basketball court, children's playground, and splash pad. The park was filled with families enjoying the Sunday afternoon. Just outside the gate was an ice cream truck and a fresh tropical fruit vendor. If you want to experience the culture of Allapattah, all you need to do is pay a visit to this beloved community retreat.

Muy bien parque para disfrutar al aire libre ! Mi hijo disfruta venir a jugar soccer.read more

This is the perfect park if you are looking for big open space to throw the ball with your kids or…read moresome friends. It is hard to find parks with clear open areas like this. There are no major roads around the park so it is very family friendly, Located in the middle of the neighborhood it makes it have a very homey feel. There is also a nice paved pathway all the way around the park making it a good location if you like to walk/jog/run. The only thing to remember when going here is there are no structured bathrooms, just porta potties so just use the restroom before you head out that way if you are uncomfortable with using them.

A really great community park. Wedged inside of a really chill neighborhood in the middle of…read moreHialeah. If this park was in Coral Gables, it would be super popular. Packs a punch with the little space given. This park has two tennis courts, two three wall racketball courts, several renovated basketball courts, A couple of softball T-ball fields a huge grassy patch to play soccer and now they are putting a new children's playground. My older friends that live around here really nuptials walking in a circle using the path that goes around the whole park. The rec center has the bathrooms and other rooms for after school care and other activities. Many years ago, I used to live around the block and they have done a great job of keeping the park updated

While exploring Coral Gables I stumbled upon this cute park named in honor of Coconut Grove…read morecommunity activist, Esther Mae Potts Armbrister. Esther Mae was of Bahamian descent and although diminutive in size, she had a powerful personality. Her trademark phrase was "I may not be right all of the time but I'm never wrong.'" Esther Mae was a presence at city hall city hall where she led a successful campaign to renovate a local park and to have sections of west Grove designated as historic. She is credited with the creation of historic markers for the cemeteries where Bahamian and African American settlers of Coconut Grove were buried. She also worked to preserve the turn-of-the-century clapboard house owned by Mariah Brown, an early immigrant from the Bahamas. From 1947-1953, she was president of St. Albans Day Nursery, where mothers could receive day care for $1.25 per week. History was her passion and she often shared it with local schoolchildren. She also liked to keep local politicians on their toes. Esther Mae passed away at the age of 81 in 1997 while in the midst of writing a history book. Esther M. Armbrister Park is a testament to Esther Mae's legacy of dedication to her community. The 4.4-acre City of Miami park includes a community center, baseball and football fields, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, and exercise equipment. Plans are moving forward for the 10 million dollar Armbrister Park New Community Center Improvements project consisting of the demolition of the aging existing community center building and the construction of a new 10,000 square foot two story facility and an outdoor pavilion. The center will include sports equipment storage, classrooms for after-school programs, a technology room, a kitchen, meeting rooms, restrooms and an outdoor pavilion. It will also serve as an outreach center during hurricanes or other natural disasters. Armbrister Park has long been a central gathering point for sports and recreation in Coconut Grove. The new center's design will reflect the cultural and architectural traditions that have defined this neighborhood by using Caribbean and Bahamian-style architecture. Great things are coming to this neighborhood, just the way Esther Mae would have wanted.

Armbrister park is located on the same block as George Washington Carver elementary/middle school…read more(Hornets Represent!) and across from the City of Miami Fire Department (off Grand Ave and Jefferson). It has been renovated and now includes a full turf football field and goals for soccer that I think can only be used if participating in a league. There's space to park along the park on Jefferson Street although I'm not sure that it's legal parking (watch for your car to avoid being towed). You could also opt to pay for parking on Grand Ave. There's a playground next to the field and enough field space (as well as bleachers) outlining the actual football field so it's a great spot to take your kids out to play catch, kick a ball around, etc.. I'm happy this park is around, can't wait to see how it is to play my Sunday coed soccer leagues here!

Sugarwood Park is a very nice neighborhood park located behind Claude Pepper Elementary School…read more Claude Pepper was a long term democratic politician who represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1936 to 1951, and the Miami area in the United States House of Representatives from 1963 until his death in 1989. There is also a beach park named in his honor in Fort Pierce. This rural part of unincorporated Southwest Miami-Dade is called the Hammocks and Sugarwood is one of the neighborhoods in the Hammocks. Sugarwood Park has a .3 mile lighted loop walking path, basketball courts, playground, benches, and tot lot. There is also a fitness court that features five pieces of easy to use, low impact gym equipment designed for cardio and strength training and even wheelchair workouts. Landscaping in the park includes butterfly attracting plants. This park is great recreational spot for families and people looking to exercise in South Miami.

A good sized park located behind Claude Pepper Elementary School, my former primary School. There's…read morea basketball court, a playground, and a trail that loops around for those looking to get some exercise. The playground area itself has widened for more room to play in. There are 4 sets of swings--2 are regular swings and 2 other ones are chair-like for those who just want to sit back and recline. Parts of the playground have the blue rubber flooring and other parts are sand. There are no parking lots, but you can park along the street right by the park. Overall, this is a nice park to take a stroll, play some bball, or take kids on the playground.