Much like a tote bag and a shoe, you can tell a lot about Londoners from their park of choice
London is one of the greenest cities in the world; it’s home to over 3,000 parks, from the massive Royal Parks to these hidden gardens; over 20% of the capital is public green space, and in 2019 it was designated as the world’s first National Park City.
Just as they’re tribal over their neighbourhoods, Londoners love their parks. The furore over the festivals being held in Brockwell Park, and the uproar about the leases for park cafes in Parliament Hill Fields, Parliament Hill Lido, Golders Hill and Queen’s Park being awarded to restaurant chain Daisy Green, show how much locals care about their green spaces. And they have every right to be protective because London’s parks have become proper community hubs.
There’s been a growing movement, especially amongst Gen Z, away from screens and toward IRL connections, and there aren’t many better places to go offline than a park. Girls That Walk, a girls-only community designed to help attendees make new friends, meets weekly in Battersea Park. Blackheath is regarded as the best place to fly kites in the city and there’s an annual Kite Day that takes place every autumn. Hyde Park has become a hub for roller skating, with a number of skate groups using the Serpentine Road for their moves (quite the show!). In fact, Hyde Park is home to all manner of activities, from a scream club to public debates and rallies at Speakers’ Corner. POC birdwatching community Flock Together goes on regular walks through Richmond Park, and birders can also be found in Burgess Park, Wanstead Park, Abney Park Cemetery, and Walthamstow Wetlands.
The outdoors and exercise go hand in hand so it’s no surprise that people use the park to workout – it’s not uncommon to see one of London’s many run clubs snake their way through parks across the city. If you’ve spent any time in London Fields, you’ll have seen calisthenics in action on the dip and pull-up bars (the shirtless guys are the ones that do the most impressive moves). People have been shooting hoops in Hackney Downs for years and now that the free-to-use basketball courts have had a glow-up, expect to see even more ball being played.
Hampstead Heath is one of the finest green spaces in London, and its swimming ponds are some of the best places for a dip. People have been swimming in the ponds since the 1920s and there are loyal swimmers who visit every day, even in the depths of winter, regardless of the water temperature. Novelist Esther Freud wrote about the magic of the Ladies’ Pond for Vogue, saying, “to swim in the Ladies’ Pond at any time of year is like being part of an exclusive club. There is a special bond between the women – they smile at each other as they glide by, and introduce their daughters to the lifeguards as they come of age….Now, each time I walk down the shaded path, I think of the friends I’ve swum with over 30 years, the new friends I’ve made more recently.”
The Grade II-listed Brockwell Lido, first opened in Brockwell Park in 1937, boasts similar devotees. After closing in 1990, a grassroots campaign led to it being reopened and it’s been a major draw for locals ever since. The Brockwell Icicles, an informal but dedicated group of winter swimmers, successfully campaigned to have the lido open all year round. And other swim communities like Girly Dips can often be found in the pool – it’s even hosting a charity event to raise money for the upkeep of the lido.
So if you’re looking to touch grass, find your people and celebrate a subcuture, the park really is the place to do it.
