Daniel B.
Yelp
Historic Fourth Ward Park is one of my favorite Atlanta public parks. It opened in June 2011 so it's relatively "new." The park is located across the street from Ponce City Market (to the south, across North Ave) and just west of the Eastside BeltLine Trail. A perfect day can be had by combining visits to the park, beltline, and market.
At the time of writing this review, the park is split into two sections totaling 17 acres, so it's not huge. Ultimately, the sections will be combined into one to form over 30 congruous acres. There are lighted, paved trails, brick and stone, greenspace, lots of seating, a large, scenic stormwater retention pond with ducks and geese, waterfalls and fountains, an amphitheater, plants, flowers, and trees, a playground, splash pad, public restrooms, and a skatepark.
The park is clean, safe, and well maintained. It's great to walk around and hang out in during the day or night. I really like its design which is modern, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing. This is a good place to take pictures. The water in the pond can get a little stinky. The ducks are cute. The playground has some cool equipment that I wish I got to play with as a kid. I like how the ground is soft -- it's nice and safe for the kiddies. Tony Hawk was here for the opening of the skatepark in 2011 (he helped design it).
The splash pad is open from May 1 to October 1, 10am to 8pm. There are free (and sometimes massive) exercise classes in the big greenspace next to the skatepark. They include yoga, aerobics, and other activities. Check the park's website for a calendar of events: http://www.h4wpc.com/.
There's no parking lot, but there's plenty of free street parking around the park as well as next to the various nearby buildings and apartment communities. Just be aware of your surroundings and obey any parking signs you see. Streets with free parking include Dallas St, Garden Park Dr, Morgan St, North Angier Ave, and Rankin St.