If you take your dog for regular excursions in the region, be prepared for various weather conditions as Philadelphia weather has a little bit of everything! Rainy days are frequent and dry outerwear is required. In winter, when cold snaps hit, there is even a good chance of some snow, although it rarely stays long as winter temperatures usually rise above freezing during the day. Summers are hot and moisture from the coast creates humid, muggy conditions that make hot days feel even hotter! Dress in cool, breathable fabric, pack water, and seek shady walking areas.
The Parkway is lined with parks and museums creating a unique streetscape. Access roads run parallel to the parkway, separated by berms with lawns, trees, and paved pedestrian ways which create a safe, pleasant walking path through the area. The southeast side of the parkway has many high-rise apartment buildings, office towers, institutions, and commercial businesses at street level. Parks provide landscaping in the southeast area which, with its skyscrapers and developed urban landscape, has limited trees and grassy areas outside of parks and squares. Parks and square have memorials and fountains and there, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints provides some unique architecture.
The terrain is flat and the Schuylkill River borders it on the west side. There are lots of busy thoroughfares crisscrossing the area and pedestrians with pets need to be very vigilant for traffic. There are two circular features along the Parkway. Both have green spaces in and around them.
Continue along to Logan Square, a traffic circle with a fountain and green space in it and benches for pedestrians to take a break. Aviator Park and Sister Cities Park border the circle on either side, providing more greenways with pedestrian paths, monuments, lawns, and trees.
Pedestrians and their furry friends will then reach “the Oval” an eight-acre green space in front of the Philadelphia Museum that host events, artwork, and features a pedestrian promenade. To the south is Paine's Park, a contemporary skate park along the river. You can gain access to the Schuylkill River Trail here.