I’m a full-blown city girl. The bustling streets from Boston to London excite me, and I pull inspiration from the strangers who walk alongside me or sit next to me on the train. I’ll live in a shoebox if it means waking up to pedestrians jaywalking and taxis honking for minutes at a time. I belong in a concrete jungle with millions of jam-packed citizens. However, since I’ve arrived in London, I’ve had a particular craving for greenery.
This longing forced a bit of an identity crisis on me –– until I realized that in Boston, no matter where you are in the city, you’re always a 10-minute walk away from a park. From the Fens to the Public Garden, we as Northeastern students don’t need to make much of an effort to find some lush grass. Living in the Shoreditch neighborhood of London, I need to be more deliberate when looking for some soul-soothing green space. I now mindfully take the Tube to the west part of the city to find where the buildings stop and the shrubs begin. Soon, I quickly realized that London’s made up of some fantastic parks and quickly found some favorites:
1. Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Two of the most famous parks in London are Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, so when I felt the itch for some greenery, I googled how to get to these splendid spots. Hyde Park is quite expansive, and there are a myriad of walking paths among the grass and trees. In some ways, it seems a bit underwhelming compared to the many decorated gardens of the city, but the far-reaching green space is just what I needed after a week or two of pure concrete. I walked around for a couple of hours and smiled at the dozens of dogs playing fetch. It was a great place to walk and talk as I enjoyed a nice phone call with one of my best friends back in Boston.
Right next door is Kensington Gardens, famous for its flowers and fountains. Walking by Kensington Palace makes you feel as though you’re on the set of the movie, and the entire garden is quite picturesque. You’ll most definitely want to bring your camera here. Long story short, the combination of these two parks were the perfect contrast to the commotion of busy London streets.
2. The Regent’s Park & Queen Mary’s Garden
Just like Kensington Gardens, The Regent’s Park and Queen Mary’s Garden transport you from the streets filled with Tube stations to some greenery, but this time in the form of an Italian vineyard. On the day I walked through, I soaked up some sunshine as I enjoyed the nearby foundations and passerbys. If you need to take a major exhale and escape the hustle and bustle for a moment, these neighboring parks are an ideal place to do so. Overall, they are quite accessible wherever you are in London, so prioritize stopping by and taking in their collective beauty.
3. The Green Park & St. James’s Park
If you’re in London for only a day, odds are that you’ll walk through these two parks (whether you’re aware of it or not). This duo houses playgrounds for kiddos, a serene lake, and, most notably, Buckingham Palace. Although this area is understandably more touristy than the others, it’s still an idyllic spot to walk through and ensures you’ll appreciate all of London’s green space. Once you’re ready to step back into the (sometimes) hectic streets, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square await nearby. This special place is on the top of many tourists’ to-do list.
For those familiar with London, you know that I’m barely scraping the surface when it comes to all of the parks and gardens here. Next up on my list is Hampstead Heath, and I’d also like to venture out to the East side of the city to scope out some more greenery. After listing some of my favorite green spots, I recommend everyone take some time each week to surround themselves with trees and flowers and to inhale the great outdoors, wherever they are in the world. Even if you’re a hardcore city slicker, everybody needs their dose of greens.
