A three-mile parkland along the Charles River between the Longfellow and Harvard bridges, the Esplanade is one of Boston's best open spaces. Joggers, cyclists, and stroller-pushers share the tree-lined paths year-round, but the park really comes alive in summer when the Hatch Shell hosts free outdoor concerts — most famously the Boston Pops Fourth of July show, which draws half a million people.
Even without an event, it is a fine place to sit on the grass and watch sailboats on the river, or to walk from Back Bay to the Museum of Science along the water. In winter the paths are quiet and the views of Cambridge across the river are crisp.