Photo by Joshua Bousel.

We can all picture it: the Fourth of July get-together, kids playing in a grassy backyard, meat on the barbie, beers* in hand… You may not think Brooklyn’s built for this Independence Day ideal, but it is. With this annual grilling-pinnacle-of-a-weekend coming up, it’s a good time to remember our borough’s great parks—and their many designated barbecuing areas. These nearly 20 spots over seven Brooklyn parks aren’t just patches of dirt—they’ve got full-blown charcoal grills ripe for the claiming.

All you need is charcoal, Hebrew Nationals and some cold O’Doul’s*, and you’ll never try this again (but set your alarm, because the spots go fast). Here’s the full Brooklyn list and some rules and regulations. And the king of grill-friendly parks, Prospect Park, has a map of its grilling-spots here.

* “alcohol is prohibited in all parks.”