Independence Square

Although my dog’s the meanest little thing on the block, I do very much enjoy this park. I try to bring my dog at off-​peak hours, so he can roam around without trying to murder another dog– big or small. Everyone I’ve ever talked to there with their dogs has been super friendly :) It’s meet and greet central, family-​friendly, and you can sit on the top of the bleachers to catch some of the baseball/​softball/​football games. I gave it 4 stars, because I’m a fanatic about cleaning up after your dogs… and I occasionally see some dog owners forgetting their manners.

I also love visiting this park to walk the dog (s). We call it the M street park and it is well known as a dog-​spot. Every evening you can find dogs off-​leash racing around the park. While it is great to get the dog some exercise that involves me standing still, I’m not as big a fan of this park as the one by Farragut. The dogs are bigger, faster and a bit more aggressive. The owners tend to be more hands off. It is rumored that around 7pm is the ‘little dog’ time, something we’ve found to be true. The layout of the park includes lots of sidewalks — perfect if you’re practicing walking on a leash, less perfect if your dog races up to strangers, strollers, bikers, etc. The fenced in area with the children’s playground is always populated during the day and I love the view of the cruise ships at port.

Independence Square is a smallish park in the heart of South Boston’s East Side. There’s a small Vietnam memorial in the center (the country’s first), with paths leading there on the diagonal. There’s also a playground for the kiddies. Before and after work, dog owners congregate. Below the concrete bleachers on the park’s north side, Independence Square abuts the Lee Playground.
It’s a good place to get a little sun, to ‘have a catch,’ to watch people play with their doggies, or just to walk through in the evening.