PHOTOS: An afternoon at the Parque Francia

In Barrio Escalante, just east of the Santa Teresita church and the Casa del Cuño, you’ll find the beautiful Parque Francia. This peaceful and charming San José park has become a gathering place – a popular location to enjoy the evening. In a hip neighborhood increasingly filled with new restaurants and bars, it’s also a low-cost, open-air alternative for a meal with friends. On a sunny Wednesday afternoon The Tico Times went to the Parque Francia to enjoy the calm ambience.

A group of friends enjoys a picnic at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — A group of friends enjoys a picnic. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Food and beverages are a must at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Barrio Escalante resident Ana Isabel Gutiérrez, 82, who lives across from the park, told The Tico Times about the changes she’s noticed over her decades in the area.

“When I moved here this was not a park; it was a farm. Then the Robert family [Louis Robert Brouca, in 1975] donated the terrain, and the French Embassy inaugurated it. Roses from France were brought to decorate the park. In 2006, [San José Mayor] Johnny Araya, along with the French Embassy and the ] Municipality of San José, [remodeled and] inaugurated the park as we know it today,” Gutiérrez explained. “Now, it’s frequently visited by a lot of young people, and it’s beautiful.”

San Jos'es Costa Rica Francia park statue — The statue that watches over the park. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Friends chatting at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Friends chatting. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Lego is one of the renowned dogs at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Lego is one of the dogs well-known to frequent visitors. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

On this sunny summer afternoon, the park was packed with people. Various groups of friends enjoyed picnics, music and good companionship.

Music, food and friend companionship at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Music, food, friends and sun: perfection. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Banana bread is great for a picnic at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Banana bread is great for a picnic. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

At this time the sun's beginning to set. at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — The beginning of sunset. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Regina Alpízar and Silvia Granados, 23-year-old friends, sat on the grass enjoying the scene.

“It’s a very safe place, and people take ownership of the public space. Everyone can do whatever they want,” Alpízar and Granados told The Tico Times.

Pose with their friends at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Regina Alpízar and Silvia Granados pose with their friends. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Another group of friends happily enjoying the afternoon at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — Another group of friends happily enjoying the afternoon. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

A San Jose Costa Rica park's guards pose for photo. — The guards of the park. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

A couple enjoys the afternoon at a San Jose Costa Rica Park — A couple enjoys the afternoon. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

Writing at a San Jose Costa Rica Park is always fun. — Putting pen to paper, al fresco. Alberto Font/The Tico Times

“I like that it’s a calm place where you can come and enjoy the afternoon with other young people. You can do whatever you want and no one is going to judge you,”said Melissa Jiménez, 21, who came to the park for a meal with her friend Carolina Zúñiga, 22.

“The park has a very distinct vibe, very tranquil. It’s pretty nice. The people are young, and it also allows us to go back to the parks and reactivate that space that was deserted for a long time,” Zúñiga explained.