Spaces S By Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett t. Louis residents have a love for parks that goes back to the early 1800s. Some of the oldest parks in the nation were created here in 1812 - Gravois, Laclede and Mt. Pleasant Parks. Jackson Place Park was created in 1816 and the iconic Forest Park in 1874, among others. To date, there are 105 public parks within the city of St. Louis' borders and more than 40 others in the adjacent St. Louis County, not to mention 10 state parks in the greater St. Louis metro area. Seventy-eight percent of St. Louis residents enjoy walkable park access and the city ranks in the top 25 in the United States for park spending per capita - at $125 per resident. Approximately 80 percent of parkland in St. Louis is designated parkland, with the remaining acreage consisting of natural parkland. In short, it's a park lover's paradise. W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 | Parks & Recreation 67