The Greater Philadelphia region is home to Fairmount Park -- one of the largest landscaped, urban parks in the United States with over 9,000 acres and 215 miles of recreation trails.

• Philadelphia Green is the largest urban greening program in the U.S., supporting community gardens, urban parks and public landscapes in Philadelphia
• Brandywine Creek State Park, DE, offers bike and footpaths and an interactive nature center.
• New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve preserves environment for to more than a thousand species of plants and animals
• There are 11 National Parks within a 50-mile radius of Greater Philadelphia.  Among them are Independence National Historic Park, home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall; and Valley Forge National Historic Park, site of Washington's winter camp during the American Revolution
• Greater Philadelphia has more public libraries per capita than most of the major metropolitan areas in the country, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Seattle, and Charlotte
• Family activities and venues include: Adventure Aquarium, Sesame Place, Philadelphia Zoo, Please touch Museum and Camden Children's Garden
• 193 golf courses (79 public, 87 private, 25 semi private and 2 military)
• About Inc. rated Philadelphia as one of the top walking cities
• Bicycling Magazine rated Philadelphia as a runner-up as best cycling city
• The Mural Arts Program is helping to beautify neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia
• Greater Philadelphia is home to an abundance of public parks.

Sources: Fairmount Park Conservancy, 2005.  Trust for Public Land 2003, National Park Service 2004.  National Center for Education Research, from Cities Ranked and Rated, 2004.