Favorite Things #3 – Montrose Park

While GM is on his honeymoon, he’s counting down his top ten favorite things about Georgetown. Today it’s number 3: Montrose Park.

Montrose Park lies along R St. between Oak Hill Cemetery and Dumbarton Oaks. It’s got open and shady fields, four tennis courts, winding paths, and a playground, all within its 10 acres.

And it’s basically an off-leash dog park to boot. (Just don’t tell NPS that…)

Montrose Park regularly appears on various “best kept secrets” but in GM’s view, the park is no longer a secret. During the mornings it’s full of dog-walkers and early strollers, by the afternoons it’s full of birthday parties and whiffle ball games. Not to mention more dog walkers and the late strollers.

Yet despite all this use, it’s still idyllic and and a peaceful spot is not hard to find. Whether it’s the gas-lamp lit Parrot Walk, the hedge maze, or a bench on the hill overlooking Rock Creek Park, Montrose Park offers a place to quietly read the paper, even when the rest of the park is packed.

We can all thank Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse, who with a group of women who petitioned Congress to buy up the land and preserve it for “the recreation and pleasure of the people”. Now that the secret is completely out, her wish continues to be fulfilled.

Previously:

4: Nathans

5: The Georgetown Current

6: Greater Dumbarton Oaks

7: Sara’s Market

8: Bistro Lepic

9: Q St.’s Elms

10: Abundance of Stores