Finding That Balance
One of the things I love about living in the Capital City of the UAE is that it is family and kids friendly. There is always a park we can go to where the kids can play, get together with friends, run, jog, skate, bike - pretty much anything you can think of when trying to get some wholesome R&R. What's best is that it is accessible and free for everyone.
Right along the Corniche Road in the city centre, you will find the Lake Park. It is quite big (not the biggest though, compared to the other parks along Corniche) with its area spanning across Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street (Muroor Road) to Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street (Airport Road).
There are several age-appropriate play areas for the children that are also recently renovated. There are slides, swings, and monkey bars for smaller kids while there are also gym-themed activities for bigger ones.
Nature and Greenery In the Desert
When in the park, you can almost not think that you are in a desert country. As the name suggests, there is an artificial lake in the middle of the park where you will find lots of ducks swimming by. The chirping of the birds and the occasional stray cats that would pass you by making you feel so close to nature.
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The big trees that line the park give a lot of shade for the park visitors. People can choose to occupy the kiosks available or just simply lay their picnic mats on the grass.
There are lots of space for the kids to play, even small hills where they can slide and roll! Benches are dotted across the area should you feel the need to sit down after chasing after your little ones!
Cityscape
There are also a couple of playgrounds for the kids to use. The one below can be seen right across the lake and is recently renovated as well. The Abu Dhabi Municipality has been consistently renovating children's playgrounds and amenities - most of them were closed last year at the peak of the lockdowns and as they reopen, most of them have been refurbished including this one in the Lake Park.
The tall buildings along Khalifa Street can be viewed from the park - a beautiful contrast from the peaceful vibe of the park. Of course, you cannot miss the World Trade Centre from here. I personally used to spend my lunch breaks in this park during the time I was working at WTC.
The Lake Park At Night
As the sun begins to set, the bridge over the lake becomes the highlight of the park. Beyond the bridge, there is also a 15-meter high fountain which you can admire while perhaps chilling out with family and friends.
The bridge is a combination of wooden passageway with steel arches. At night, its lights shine bright, can we stop and take some instagrammable shots?
The Lake Park is one of our favorite places to go to. We have lots of memories in this park as we used to hang out here everyday after office hours. My youngest son celebrated his first birthday here as well.
A lot of our get-togethers, celebrations, even farewell parties were held here, too!
The park is open for everyone daily, 24H a day. The colder months are upon us and definitely, a lot of people will be coming over here to enjoy the season!
