Avery Street Park, Recreation Center and Annex

If you want to avoid the chaos of Garner’s busier spots, this one’s worth knowing about. The climbing structure keeps the younger kids (roughly 2 to 12) busy, and whoever added that shade cloth over part of the playground made a smart call — it actually makes a difference on a hot afternoon. Picnic tables are in decent shape, restrooms are clean, and there’s a basketball court if your older kids need something to do. It doesn’t get talked about much, which honestly keeps it from feeling overrun on weekends.