Echo Park's lake offers a lush, green oasis—and, oddly enough, a rather striking view of the Downtown LA skyline.

Echo Park Lake is best known for hosting the annual summertime Lotus Festival, which usually falls in mid-July. But the lake is open year-round for fishing, paddle boating and picnicking. (Boats are only available for rental on the weekends during the winter months.) And for those who miss out on the Lotus Festival, there's more than enough opportunity to sit cross-legged among the flowers—the lake's lotuses usually stay in bloom from June through September. —Elisa Jacobs