This past weekend I soaked up some sunshine by the water and relaxed with my toes in the sand. I wasn’t visiting the Jersey Shore but instead enjoying Philadelphia’s new Spruce Street Harbor Park, a pop-up waterfront park on Penn’s Landing. Located along the Delaware River at Columbus Boulevard and Spruce Street, the summertime village offers a slice of the shore in an urban setting, featuring floating barges with beach sand and lush gardens; hammocks; a restaurant; a bar; and a mini-boardwalk with games, concessions and arcades. The sprawling pop-up venue is part of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp.’s $250-million plan to redevelop Penn’s Landing, connect the underutilized waterfront to the city and place public parks every half-mile along the Delaware River. The $600,000 temporary park offers a glimpse of what the waterfront could be and is a wonderful place to spend a summer day. My visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon started with a stop for a local beer from Philadelphia Brewing Company and a walk through the site’s wooded area, where families and friends were lounging in the 50 colorful hammocks strung throughout the trees on the west side of the park. After strolling on the boardwalk and checking out the concessions from vendors that set up shop in repurposed cargo containers, I made my way over to The Oasis, made up of three barges; a lily pad water garden; picnic tables; ample seating; and The Blue Anchor, an on-site restaurant and bar named after one of Philadelphia’s first taverns. The floating Garces Group restaurant and bar provides local beer, wine and cocktails as well as casual fare and menu favorites from Garces’ Village Whiskey, including burgers, fries and desserts. Settled in a colorful Adirondack chair with a burger and beer in hand, I spent the rest of my afternoon relaxing, enjoying the cool breeze and looking forward to more summer fun in Philadelphia. Spruce Street Harbor Park is open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. through Aug. 31. Visit the website to check out upcoming events. — Monique Barrett, eFlyer editor/associate editor