The Fountain Street Steps at the intersection of Fountain St. and Umbria St. in Manayunk is a little gem tended to by the community. It dates back to the early 1990s, when two mothers decided to beautify the stairs, which were overgrown with weeds and litter. Today, the steps are a pleasant, green gateway to the Manayunk Canal and are home to colorful murals courtesy of the Mural Arts Program. Bonus: They’re a classic spot for Instagram photos.

Tucked away off Melville and Locust Streets in Spruce Hill, this bird sanctuary is hidden among the backyards of West Philly rowhomes. It's maintained by the Spruce Hill Community Association. Hang out here for a while and you might spot rare bird species, from goldfinches to the occasional hawk.

This community park in Mt. Airy began its transformation a half a dozen years ago. Now it's known for its skilled gardeners and plant sales. There are weekend Tai Chi classes, annual plant sales, garden lectures, and other other community events held here regularly.

This little park used to be the home of the "Spring Garden Water Works,' built in the mid 1840's. The foundation still stands, now overgrown with flora. There are some steps that take you into the woods adjacent to the park, and there is a pond, waterfalls, and probably some of the best secluded picnic spots in all of Philly.

The Summer Winter Community Garden is one of the oldest community gardens in Philadelphia. Named after the nearby streets Summer and Winter, the garden is run by volunteers, who harvest and donate food to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society City Harvest, which serves the hungry.

We're not sure how "secret" Cira Green is anymore, but it still seems to go unnoticed by passersby—given that it's located on top of a 11-story parking garage in University City. That may explain why Cira Green still feels like a hidden gem, despite its growing popularity since opening in 2015. Whether crowded or not, it’s definitely worth checking out, at least for those killer Center City views.

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. It's named after the first black graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts in 1902, who went onto design iconic buildings like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Free Library of Philadelphia at Central Parkway.

At 45,000 square feet, the PECO Green Roof is the largest urban green roof installation on an existing building in Pennsylvania. Designed by Re:Vision Architecture and Roofmeadow in 2009, the roof captures 60 to 70 percent of rainwater that falls on the 8-story building. While it's not open to the public regularly, PECO and the Philadelphia Horticultural Society offer tours on the third Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m. from April to October. The fee is $5 for Pennsylvania Horticultural Society members and $10 for nonmembers.

This is a hidden gem off Cherry Street in Logan Square. It's a great place to bring the tots and let them run amok among the retro playground equipment, or simply sit back and relax on one of the benches. It’s also a popular spot for movie nights held by the Fairmount Park Conservancy, so keep an eye open for upcoming events.

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.

The 55-acre Awbury Arboretum in Germantown is home to the Henry Cope Garden, also known as the "secret garden." It dates back to the earliest days of Awbury, when it was just a small boxwood garden. Today, the secret garden is full of rare trees like "very tall, old persimmons" and Witchhazel. It’s also (as of 2017) home to Adventure Woods, a natural materials playground.

What was once an abandoned lot is now Spring Gardens, a large community garden that takes up an entire city block. Some 180 families grow their own food and flowers for themselves and for donations. Non-members can visit the gardens on Saturdays during the gardening season.

Fun fact: The Harry O’s Passyunk Gardens was created in 2011 for a taping of the Rachael Ray Show. But it continues to be run by volunteers, with plants and supplies provided by Camden Children’s Garden. It's open for visits on Sundays 4 to 6 p.m. and some weekday mornings.

One word: Bocce. This hidden gem in Bella Vista is a well-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. In the summer, the park has events like live music.

Tucked away in South Philly—just off Passyunk—sits this charming little pocket park, which was dedicated in 1989 in memory of Democratic committeeman Louis Paolone, Sr. It’s a short triangle of land that is kept up by community members and features gorgeous flowers and even an Isaiah Zagar (of Philly’s Magic Garden fame) mosaic!

Friends of Manton Street Park worked with Fairmount Park Conservancy, PHS, and PPS to transform this vacant lot into the sweet community park and garden it is today. It's also home to a beautiful and colorful mural by local artist David Guinn.

Sandwiched between two rowhomes in Pennsport is Karen Donnelly Park, which is the result of neighbors coming together to transform a vacant lot into this public space. It features metal sculptures, playground equipment on astroturf, and built-in tables and benches.

There are actually a whopping 55 acres of land that make up Independence National Historical Park in Old City, including a series of rose and magnolia gardens created by the National Park Service. The Magnolia, Rose, and 18th-Century gardens are meant to be recreations of what a typical Philadelphia garden looked like in the 18th century.

This 275-acre park in Northeast Philly just so happens to be the only state park within city limits. It's mostly undeveloped, save for a very large community garden. In addition to bike paths and hiking trails, there's an area devoted to flying radio controlled model airplanes.