Parade Ground

If you haven’t spent a Saturday at Parade Ground, you’re missing one of Brooklyn’s best-kept open secrets. The soccer fields and basketball courts get serious use year-round — this is not a casual pickup game kind of crowd — but there’s plenty of room to just spread out on the grass if you’re not feeling competitive. Shade trees and picnic tables make it easy to actually settle in for a few hours, and the water feature gives younger kids something to do while older ones run themselves ragged on the fields. The trails along the wooded edges are a nice bonus if you want a breather from the action. Restrooms on site, which honestly makes or breaks a long afternoon out with the family.