The best urban oases combine modern pleasures with a sense of history, as well as provide an escape from the noises and annoyances of urban life. The parks on our list — comprising suggestions from Peter Harnik, director of the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for Public Land in Washington, D.C., and Alan Tate, author of Great City Parks — run the gamut in size and features, but each in its own way offers a sense of escape.

See the full list of America's Best City Parks

Grant Park

Chicago

Dubbed the "Front Yard" of Chicago, this 300-plus-acre expanse on the western shore of Lake Michigan is home to numerous walking paths, sports fields, museums (the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium), and the iconic Buckingham Fountain. In 2004, work was completed on the conversion of rail yards and parking lots in the northern section of Grant Park, now known as Millennium Park, home to expansive plazas, gardens and postmodern pavilions.

Post Office Square

Boston

Harnik says this park in Boston's financial district "completely revolutionized" the small (1.7 acre) space that it occupies as well as the buildings around it. A concrete parking garage was moved underground and lunchtime lingerers now lounge on the grass above — hence the park's motto, "Park above, park below."

Audubon Park

New Orleans

This public space was planned by John Charles Olmsted, nephew of Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed New York's Central Park. Audubon Park is a lush expanse of lawns, stately oak trees, lagoons, a recently renovated golf course and the Audubon Zoo. The park is named after 19th-century naturalist John James Audubon (a one-time New Orleans resident), and it is still a hot-spot for bird-watching: Egrets, herons and other winged migrators rest regularly in its waters.

Cal Anderson Park

Seattle

When a federal regulation required drinking-water reservoirs to be covered, Seattle took the opportunity to make its Lincoln Reservoir roof double as park space. The result, says Peter Harnik of the Trust for Public Land, was "beautiful parkland." The recently redesigned space, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, includes paths, wading pools and playing fields.

Balboa Park

San Diego

Many of the gorgeous Spanish-Baroque Revival structures in this sprawling San Diego space are remnants of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Today, the park hosts a diverse range of attractions, from flower gardens to theaters and sports complexes. Balboa Park is also home to numerous museums and the world-renowned San Diego Zoo.

See the full list of America's Best City Parks