The city of Boston is densely populated in many areas, but it also has a park system that is about as nice as you will find in a large city. One of the most scenic open areas is the Public Garden in downtown Boston, which is shown in this photo, which was taken in April of 2007. The Public Garden and many other parks, including the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park, have a variety of plants and trees, allowing for beautiful and always-changing colors from the springtime to the fall.For a larger version of this photo, go to the Boston, MA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.
The Public Garden in downtown Boston is one of those places that explodes in color depending on the time of year you go. Colorful flowers abound in the spring, while incredible foliage can be seen in the fall. But it also has a somewhat haunting feel depending on the time of year--and the time of day--which is what led me to take a number of black and white photos there one day in April of 2007. The photo shown here was taken just before sunset from the banks of the small pond in the garden, looking toward the skyline of downtown.
Because Chicago is such a big city, people often assume that the areas in and around downtown must be little more than skyscrapers and busy streets. But this couldn't be further from the truth, as Chicago has a lot of open space, even in the center of the city. One of the nicest spots is shown in this photo, which was taken in November 2008. It gives a view of Washington Square Park in the Near North Side section of the city. It is only a few blocks from downtown, but is a quiet and attractive oasis that is also surrounded by some stunning architecture.