Patterson Park is one of Baltimore's most important neighbourhood parks, serving the densely populated east side of the city where several immigrant communities — Polish, Greek, Ukrainian, and now Latino — have historically concentrated. The park has a boathouse on a small lake, tennis courts, an ice skating rink in winter, and the eccentric 1891 Pagoda observation tower.
The park is best visited on summer weekends when it becomes the living room of the surrounding neighbourhood. The farmers market and the events held in and around the park give it a community feel that more formal parks lack. The view from the Pagoda tower is excellent and the Pagoda itself is one of those structures that raises more questions than it answers.