First Ward Park, Charlotte

The centerpiece is an open lawn used for everything from lunch breaks to programmed events, edged by terraced steps that double as informal seating for performances. A splash fountain draws families through warm months, and shaded walks connect the park's corners to the surrounding sidewalks.

Because the park was built alongside the blocks around it, entrances land mid-block rather than at a single ceremonial front, which is why it feels used at all hours rather than only at lunch.

Discovery Place Science, the main library block and the Blumenthal complex sit within a few blocks along North Tryon. 7th Street Public Market covers groceries and weekday lunch, and UNC Charlotte Center City anchors East 9th Street.

The Little Sugar Creek Greenway runs along the eastern edge of the loop, which makes the park a practical starting point for a run rather than a destination on its own.

The mid-rise condominium and apartment buildings facing the lawn are the newest residential stock inside I-277. Two units in the same building can trade well apart depending on whether their glass faces the park and skyline or the interstate side of the ward.

Peters & Associates works these buildings line by line rather than by neighborhood average, because on this park the view corridor is the asset.