One of the best community gardens around. Gardeners are active on volunteer days, freely share…read moretheir knowledge, and help each other water during vacations. Communal resources include water, mulch, and tools. Communal gardens include flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and berries. Wonderful community asset.

The Virginia Avenue Community Garden is an oasis just south of the busy Barracks Row. Just beyond…read morethe highway, it's in a little enclave of historic row houses with a view of the tip of the US Capitol Building. It's home to 60 or so community gardens (If you want to find out how to reserve a spot, e-mail commgarden@yahoo.com). If you're not a member, you can still sneak away here and use one of the three picnic tables to read, reflect, and enjoy a little peace and quiet away from Eastern Market.

My company volunteered to help plant seeds at Marion Street Garden and I'm so glad we did. Now I…read moreknow of a GREAT oasis right in DC. Here's why I gave it 5 stars: 1) It's literally right behind one of DC's best coffee shops- Compass Coffee. It's just a few blocks from two Metro Stations (Mt Vernon and Shaw). 2) It's in between two row houses giving it a true urban vibe with beautiful photo opportunities. 3) It's a true community garden because anyone who harvest gets a share of the crops (herbs, veggies, etc). 4) The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable teaching you a variety of herbs you've probably never heard of like lemon balm (It's amazing and would be good in an arugula salad). 5) They host events from outdoor movies to educational events and the public is free to have meetings on the benches in the garden or use their little public library within the garden. Next time you grab a mint cold brew from Compass Coffee, stroll by Marion Street Garden and enjoy nature!

Virginia Avenue Park is one of those small parks that only locals know about. The nearby highway…read morehides it well. The park includes a dog park, a community garden, and green space with several picnic tables. A bike trail goes by it offering beautiful views of the Washington Monument.

Probably the best dog park in SE DC. There are literally no dog parks EOTR but this park is close…read moreenough to me that it works for my pup and I. Things I love about this park: - it's plenty of space for my dude to get tons of zoomies out! I have a 1 year old husky boxer mix who sometimes just needs to run free...and this park allows him to do that! - it's fully fenced! I feel good knowing my dog can run free without getting into too much trouble. - there are two poop bag stations that sit outside of the two gates that are always stocked. - even on super nice days, it never gets tooooo crowded which I love. - there are two separate areas. The bigger side, I'm assuming for bigger dogs, and a smaller side for the smaller pups. What I love though, is the smaller side is still enough space for your pup to run and get some zoomies out. - the park is normally super clean. They shut down for cleaning once a month, which I appreciate. - there's a working water fountain for the pups and humans (on both sides). The only reason for the 4 stars (and not 5) - I wish there was some shade in the park. In the summer it can get BRUTAL for the dogs and the HUMANS. Otherwise, great park. Tons of space. Enough space to spread out.

Virginia Avenue Park is one of those small parks that only locals know about. The nearby highway…read morehides it well. The park includes a dog park, a community garden, and green space with several picnic tables. A bike trail goes by it offering beautiful views of the Washington Monument.

Lovejoy is a quiet, little park in Capitol Hill East. It has a playground, grassy area, a compost…read morearea, benches, and a community garden. It's a safe, family friendly park.

Lovejoy Park boasts a small well-tended-to playground for the little little ones and plenty of…read morespace to toss a ball (foot/base/soccer -- your call) for the bigger little ones and the plain old big ones. Also good for letting your dog loose. It's an eco-friendly public space and a good picnic spot above the H Street scene next to the Lovejoy Lofts.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Oasis for the birds in the Nation's Capital…read more *Located near the National Museum of Natural History *The Urban Bird Habitat (UBH) is an oasis for many bird species. *UBH landscape provides food, water, shelter for the birds and also a place to raise their young. *There are over 300 bird species identified in Washington DC.

Recently renovated and expanded, the Arboretum Recreation Center may be the best rec center in D.C…read more Open Monday through Friday, the building's design mimics the nearby U.S. National Arboretum. Inside, there's a small gym, a basketball court, a computer lab, a rec room where movies are shown, and a soft play room for kids. Outside are two playgrounds, tennis courts that double as pickle ball courts, basketball courts, a workout area, a community garden, and an amphitheater.