Allmendinger Playground

If you’re a regular at this Old West Side spot, you’ve probably noticed how much better it’s gotten since the renovations. The shade situation here is genuinely one of the best in the city — those mature trees do real work on hot Michigan summer afternoons. It’s a solid neighborhood park, nothing flashy, but the kind of place where kids can actually play comfortably without parents hunting for a sliver of shadow. Locals know it, and it doesn’t get as crowded as some of the bigger Ann Arbor parks, which is honestly half the appeal.