The Esplanade was named a “Frontline Park” by City Parks Alliance, a national urban park advocacy organization based in Washington D.C.

Each month the alliance recognizes two parks from across the country that highlight 'urban excellence, innovation and stewardship' amid problems like shrinking municipal budgets, land use pressures and neighborhood decay. The other park selected was the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark in Houston, Texas.

“We selected The Charles River Esplanade for recognition because it exemplifies the
power of public-private partnerships to create and maintain urban parks that build
community and make our cities sustainable and vibrant,” said Catherine Nagel, executive director of City Parks Alliance.

The organization also gave it a nod for "spectacular" July 4th celebrations, calling it "one of Boston’s best loved and most intensively used open spaces for both locals and tourists alike," and recognized that the three-mile stretch was also manmade.

"Over several decades, and at great cost and effort, the Esplanade was transformed from unsightly mudflats into a public space for people to enjoy the waterfront through walking, running, cycling, boating and fishing," the statement said. "Today, the number and diversity of activities has grown to include yoga,baseball, dancing, and swimming (to name a few), attracting more than three million people to the park each year."

The Esplanade will be featured on the City Parks Alliance website for the rest of June.