The Back Bay Fens is the scruffy, beloved heart of Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace — a chain of parks stretching from the Common to Franklin Park. Unlike the manicured Public Garden, the Fens feels wilder: a tidal marsh turned freshwater park, with reedy banks, meandering paths, and the Muddy River winding through.
The Victory Gardens at the eastern end are the oldest continuously cultivated community gardens in the United States, dating to 1942 when Bostonians planted them to supplement wartime food supplies. Nearly 500 plots are still tended today, bursting with tomatoes, dahlias, and beans from spring through fall. The adjacent Kelleher Rose Garden is at its best in June.
On summer evenings you'll find joggers on the paths, dog walkers along the river, and softball games on the fields. It is not a polished park, but it is one of the most lived-in green spaces in the city.