This expansive park in Graduate Hospital "became the first new Philadelphia public park in over a decade when it was opened in 2008," according to SOSNA. This year, the park serves as the check-in location for the wildly popular South Philly Food Co-op garden tour. The self-guided tour gives visitors the the opportunity to peek into the lives (and freaking amazing gardens) of urban farmers and horticulturists around the city. This year, the tour will take place throughout Graduate Hospital, Point Breeze, Newbold and West Passyunk. Head on over to the South Philly Food Co-op Website to find out more about the tour.

The Spring Gardens was built by neighbors from the ground up starting in 1995 and helps families grow food and flowers for themselves and for donation through two large City Harvest sections. The garden serves as an outdoor classroom hosting cooking workshops, gardening classes, school education tours, farm bike tours, and provides hands-on learning for student interns, visitors and volunteer groups.

The Summer Winter Community Garden is one of the oldest community gardens in Philadelphia. It is located in the Powelton Village section of the city, near Drexel University. The name of the gardens is derived from nearby Summer and Winter streets.It is run entirely by volunteers for the benefit of its members. The Summer Winter Community Gardens provide sustenance, beauty and a sense of calm within its confines.

The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine chose the Wayne-St. Davids area to build their country retreat. Now, the gardens are open to the public on select days throughout the week, and offers tours, workshops, and classes.

At 45,000 square feet, it's the largest urban green roof installation on an existing building in Pennsylvania. The roof captures 60-70% of the estimated 1.5 million gallons of runoff from the building annually, and the vegetation consists mainly of hardy sedum varieties. PECO and the Philadelphia Horticultural Society have teamed up to once again offer tours of PECO’s giant “living roof” on the third Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m. starting in April and ending in October. The fee is $5 for Pennsylvania Horticultural Society members and $10 for nonmembers. Space is limited and pre-registration at least two business days before the tour is required.

Known best as simply "Biopond," this treasure tucked away on UPenn's campus is probably the best place to take your lunch if you work on or near campus. The pond has a full-time staff attending to it, and it can be reserved for special occasions.

The Fountain Street Steps at the intersection of Fountain St. and Umbria St. in Manayunk is a little gem tended to by the community. "Back in the early ’90’s, two young mothers living on Umbria Street, Colleen Long and Amy Turella, decided to tackle the steps at the bottom of Fountain Street that lead to the Manayunk Canal. At that time, the steps were overgrown with weeds, the gutters to the sewer inlets were filled with trash, the area had rodents, people were afraid to walk down the steps to get to and from the Canal or to the factories on Venice Island." Now, the Steps have become a beautiful green space and safe access to the Canal.

According to several Yelp users (and a Curbed editor or two), Perth and Addison Park, tucked away in a little corner of Washington Square West, may "simply be the most romantic spot in Philadelphia."

There are actually a whopping 55 acres of land that make up Independence National Historical Park down in Old City. Down in the shadow of 500 Walnut, what was briefly rumored to be Beyonce and Jay Z's future Philadelphia pied-a-terre, are the so-called "Secret Gardens of Independence Park," a series of rose and magnolia gardens created by the National Park Service. It's a perfect place to get out of the office for a spell, or escape the summer tourist tsunami, to stroll, read, or let your kid tumble down a very tumble-friendly hill next to Carpenter's Hall.

This secluded little pocket park is located in the shadow of Liberty Place, and is one of the best places to get out from under those fluorescent lights and into the sunshine for a mid-day lunch break. It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and Saturdays and Sundays on a slightly more abbreviated schedule. There's free music (head to the website to check out the schedule), and you can book the space for special events.

Harry O’s Passyunk Gardens was created in 2011 for a taping of the Rachael Ray Show.The garden continues as a volunteer-run space administered by Passyunk Square Civic Association with plants and supplies provided by Camden Children’s Garden.For 2015, open hours are Sundays from 4-6 and some weekday mornings – check Facebook (link below) for more details.

One word: Bocce. This hidden gem in Bella Vista is a lovingly-maintained public space that provides a place for locals who want to take part in a friendly game, or just hang out in the shade. Per Yelp Reviewer Peter D: "I really like the bocce court and the atmosphere. It's totally regular."

This 275-acre park runs between the Boulevard and Poquessing Creek in the very far Northeast. It’s a largely undeveloped park, save for a large community garden. It's popular with hikers, bicyclers, birders and wildlife enthusiasts, and there's a large area devoted to flying radio controlled model airplanes. (Image: PA DCNR)

This community park in Mt. Airy began a transformation a half a dozen years ago. Now they're known for their skilled gardeners and resulting plant sales. There are weekend Tai Chi classes, annual plant sales, garden lectures, a clothesline art show, and you can even book the park for your Big Day.

This Fishtown gem provides plenty of lawn space for general hanging-out, and has Saturday flea markets, Thursday night barbecues, and the occasional movie night. Head on over to their Facebook page (below) to find out more about what's going on at the park.

It's more than just a garden—Bartram's is the oldest surviving botanical garden in the U.S. What initially began as owner John Bartram's landscaped garden is now a quiet respite on the west side of the Schuylkill River. Next summer the garden will be connected to the east side of the Schuylkill River banks via the Bartram's Mile trail.

The recently opened Cira Green offers gorgeous skyline views of Philly. It sits on top of a parking garage in University City, and is open to the public from 7 AM to 8 PM during the winter.