Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I might be called a homer or booster for this, but I'm confident in saying that Piedmont Park in Atlanta is the best urban park in the South. Nothing can beat the combination of the location, views, lake, greenspace, hills, and Botanical Garden. It's an old park so you get a very classic vibes from the park with very mature trees, stone stairways, and monuments.
The Genesee River Trail in Rochester, NY is a gem, it connects Genesee River Park, High Falls Park and Seneca Park (~6.0 Miles). It goes by several cataracts.
I never understood people who say Prospect Park is better than Central Park -- and many people do. I don't want to be unfair, and these things are very subjective, but I kind of feel like they're just turned off because Central Park is full of tourists and in unhip Manhattan. I can't think of a single way that Prospect Park is better than Central Park. Central Park is not only my favorite park, it's probably my favorite single place in the entire world.
One reason why they say so is that, supposedly, the designers themselves said so. In Manhattan they had a difficult site-- long, rectangular, with two big reservoirs (now down to one), and cut through by four transverse roads. They had too much rock outcrop than they wanted for their rural scenery formula which demanded gentle pasture-like expanses. They blasted rock out in some places to create more pastoral scenery. In Brooklyn they began with an odd shaped site with Flatbush Avenue running through it but convinced the powers that be to acquire more land to the south and give up the area north of Flatbush Ave. The site they assembled met their scenery requirements perfectly-- it offered a rolling, pastoral upland, a hilly forested region, and in the south end a expanse of flat farmland where they created Prospect Lake. And no pesky rock outcrop--it's Long Island, after all, which is basically a big sandbar.
Nowadays Central Park has like 10 times the maintenance budget of Prospect (that's just a wild guess). Central Park is immaculate and Prospect looks well worn. But Prospect Park seems a bit more natural, more like real rural scenery, which a lot of people like.
And I haven't said a thing about the people who use the parks.
Central Park is definitely better than Prospect Park, and I live right by Prospect Park.
Granted, Prospect Park is great, but Central Park, overall, is the best urban park on the planet (IMO). It's THE urban park; the standard to judge all others.
Central Park is definitely better than Prospect Park, and I live right by Prospect Park.
Granted, Prospect Park is great, but Central Park, overall, is the best urban park on the planet (IMO). It's THE urban park; the standard to judge all others.
I don't agree. Paris's Parc des Buttes Chaumont is one of the best parks in the world. Huge hills, waterfalls, a temple at the top of the "mountain" and it's extremely well maintained. Paris just does parks better than NYC does. Even it's version of the Highline is much better.
I don't agree. Paris's Parc des Buttes Chaumont is one of the best parks in the world. Huge hills, waterfalls, a temple at the top of the "mountain" and it's extremely well maintained. Paris just does parks better than NYC does. Even it's version of the Highline is much better.
I think Paris' parks are one of its weakest features. There are few trees, the pathways are all dirt, and there is comparatively little space given to active uses. They're more formal "backyards" than usable spaces. And the non-core parks are poorly maintained.
Buttes Chaumont was rather ill-maintained, and not a very nice neighborhood. It's appealing in that it's a hill, but that's about it. Certainly not one of the most admired Paris parks. It's like Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan or something, just less maintained.
I think Paris' parks are one of its weakest features. There are few trees, the pathways are all dirt, and there is comparatively little space given to active uses. They're more formal "backyards" than usable spaces. And the non-core parks are poorly maintained.
Buttes Chaumont was rather ill-maintained, and not a very nice neighborhood. It's appealing in that it's a hill, but that's about it. Certainly not one of the most admired Paris parks. It's like Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan or something, just less maintained.
It's your opinion...I just don't agree with the "Central Park is the standard for all". There are plenty of great urban parks in the world. Central Park is just one of them. I just know that my parents went to NYC last October and they weren't that impressed with Central Park. They thought Piedmont Park here in Atlanta was just as great, just smaller and less crowded.
Central Park impresses with how large it is and how it fits neatly right into the urban fabric of Manhattan....like a huge green jungle in the middle of concrete. It doesn't hurt that great museums border the park as well. I just think that like everything else in Manhattan, it can get overcrowded and you go to a park to leave the crowds, not continue to be in one.
It's your opinion...I just don't agree with the "Central Park is the standard for all". There are plenty of great urban parks in the world. Central Park is just one of them. I just know that my parents went to NYC last October and they weren't that impressed with Central Park. They thought Piedmont Park here in Atlanta was just as great, just smaller and less crowded.
Central Park impresses with how large it is and how it fits neatly right into the urban fabric of Manhattan....like a huge green jungle in the middle of concrete. It doesn't hurt that great museums border the park as well. I just think that like everything else in Manhattan, it can get overcrowded and you go to a park to leave the crowds, not continue to be in one.
Exactly, it's an opinion. People who say that Central Park is "THE Park" that sets some sort of objective standard and that it's categorically the best are just C-D nerds who love to create these lists of "objective" criteria that make something the best and then mark their preferences by which place checks off more boxes. Little cave dwellers rubbing their hands together, "hmmm yesss so perfectly curated, basketball courts are the proper size hmmm yezzzz it's obvious.."
Granted, some people legitimately enjoy Central Park more than Prospect, and that's cool.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boulevardofdef
I never understood people who say Prospect Park is better than Central Park -- and many people do. I don't want to be unfair, and these things are very subjective, but I kind of feel like they're just turned off because Central Park is full of tourists and in unhip Manhattan. I can't think of a single way that Prospect Park is better than Central Park. Central Park is not only my favorite park, it's probably my favorite single place in the entire world.
Since you claim not to understand the Prospect Park preference over Central Park, let me break it down from a Prospect Park fan's perspective. Like NOLA, I used to live near there, but now that I live on the upper east side, I frequent Central Park regularly .
The reason that I and likely others prefer Prospect it is because it feels like more of a getaway from the city - like you're escaping to nature. It's just flat out more beautiful, especially in the fall. I can't speak for all Prospect fans, but to me, that's the only quality that matters. Others may care more about the fact that there's more events in Central Park, that it's bigger, more iconic, well-maintained, etc. But I go to the Park to get away from the city for a bit, for a little sense of calm and peace, to at least get a taste of nature. You can walk through Prospect Park and find these beautiful little meadows and ponds surrounded by beautiful foliage and lush green vegetation within minutes - they feel almost private, and you can maybe fool yourself into thinking that you're in untouched wilderness.
Central Park just doesn't do these things as well as Prospect Park. Central Park has a lot more concrete wound throughout as well as just being full of crowds. It doesn't feel like a calm escape from the city. In a park I want to escape into beautiful natural scenery, and CP doesn't really provide that in my experience. Don't get me wrong, it has its spots, and I definitely need the park for my sanity, but it doesn't provide in the way that Prospect does.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Missionhill is also right that the designers of the parks preferred Prospect to Central as well.
Last edited by Valhallian; 04-08-2016 at 03:16 PM..
The reason that I and likely others prefer Prospect it is because it feels like more of a getaway from the city - like you're escaping to nature. It's just flat out more beautiful, especially in the fall. I can't speak for all Prospect fans, but to me, that's the only quality that matters. Others may care more about the fact that there's more events in Central Park, that it's bigger, more iconic, well-maintained, etc. But I go to the Park to get away from the city for a bit, for a little sense of calm and peace, to at least get a taste of nature. You can walk through Prospect Park and find these beautiful little meadows and ponds surrounded by beautiful foliage and lush green vegetation within minutes - they feel almost private, and you can maybe fool yourself into thinking that you're in untouched wilderness.
Central Park just doesn't do these things as well as Prospect Park. Central Park has a lot more concrete wound throughout as well as just being full of crowds. It doesn't feel like a calm escape from the city. In a park I want to escape into beautiful natural scenery, and CP doesn't really provide that in my experience. Don't get me wrong, it has its spots, and I definitely need the park for my sanity, but it doesn't provide in the way that Prospect does.
I see your point. Personally, what I love about Central Park is its perfect blend of city and nature. That's really what I'm looking for in a urban park, and actually, it's what I think is more beautiful -- this sounds kind of soulless and it's probably an unpopular opinion, but I've always found more beauty in man-made forms (e.g. architecture and landscape design) to the naturally occurring (e.g. national parks). I can see why people would prefer Prospect Park if they're looking for more a clean break with the city.
I can tell you this: I've been to lots of urban parks that do the Prospect Park thing as well as Prospect Park does, but I've never been to one that does the Central Park thing as well as Central Park does.
I see your point. Personally, what I love about Central Park is its perfect blend of city and nature. That's really what I'm looking for in a urban park, and actually, it's what I think is more beautiful -- this sounds kind of soulless and it's probably an unpopular opinion, but I've always found more beauty in man-made forms (e.g. architecture and landscape design) to the naturally occurring (e.g. national parks). I can see why people would prefer Prospect Park if they're looking for more a clean break with the city.
I can tell you this: I've been to lots of urban parks that do the Prospect Park thing as well as Prospect Park does, but I've never been to one that does the Central Park thing as well as Central Park does.
That's a really interesting take, I respect that. Yeah beauty is very subjective, and I'm for sure more of a nature guy. I haven't been to many urban parks so I can't say for myself but I believe you that Central Park is probably more unique.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
