With summer weather in full swing, the great weather offers a chance to get outside and do some reading in a place other than your backyard or balcony.
The following places in downtown Cloverdale all have a good proximity to washrooms and various refreshment options, so all you really need to bring is your book. Tucked away and somewhat intimate, these spots offer an oasis of tranquility amidst the traffic, noise, and bustle of downtown Clovy.
Here are the Cloverdale Reporter's top five (in no particular order):
1. Hawthorne Square
Perhaps the most well-known and comforting outdoor space in downtown Cloverdale, the iconic square offers a quiet interlude in the downtown core. Green, bench-filled with abundant space, even a late-comer on a busy day would likely find a spot to sit.
2. Robinson Square
The lesser-known of Cloverdale's three downtown squares, Robinson Square has so much potential. While there are no actual benches in the square (one hopes the city remedies this soon), there are two benches on the sidewalk on 176th. However, there are several large concrete planters in the square and each offers a different level of privacy if one brought a folding camping chair along. Robinson also has plenty of shade. Outdoor lights festoon the square so that even on a sunny day, Edison bulbs cast an ambient je ne sais quoi down upon visitors.
3. Veterans' Square
With its iconic Kneeling in Remembrance statue, Veteran's square has greenery, picnic tables, benches, and public art. There is also small grassy knoll to stretch out on. There is a bit of shade and the square is adjacent to both the Cloverdale Library and the Museum of Surrey.
4. Cloverdale Library
The Cloverdale Branch of Surrey Libraries is a great place to find a quiet corner to read in and of itself. But outside the library is a sweet summer spot. The Cloverdale branch has a circular table with 4 seats set out in the front of the library. Bonus: access to books is second to none.
5. Cloverdale Station
The patio at Cloverdale Station is probably the most underrated and unknown gem in Cloverdale. And it costs nothing to sit there. However, it's only open on weekends and there is a summer music festival taking place with sets each Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Still, it's beautiful spot, has quiet electric trains entering and leaving Cloverdale Station, and a serene wildflower meadow just starting to sprout next to the tracks. Well worth a visit.
Have a favourite spot to read a book outside in the summer that you'd like to share? If so, please send info and a pic to editor@cloverdalereporter.com.
