St. John’s Plaza

Small dose of fresh air
Great for eating take-​out lunch
Watch the dog droppings
This is a really nice little park in the middle of Atwells Ave. on Federal Hill. If you can score the single bench in the middle of the half-​circle path, it’s a perfect place to go sit with an iced coffee in the warmer months and people watch. Sure, the grass is a little patchy and often unkept. Sure it’s tiny. It is, however, one of the few places on the hill where you can breathe air that doesn’t smell like bad cologne and hair gel.
In the porch-​stone rear area, there are two orange tables with checkerboards and seats set in the ground. It’s a perfect spot for eschewing the more expensive sidewalk seating on the hill, grabbing carry out and having lunch on the cheap. No liquor license in the public park, but a cheap outdoor dining alternative just the same.
If you’re using the park as a cut-​through, avoid the far back corner by the pine trees. It’s filled to the brim with dog droppings.