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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Which cities, in your opinion, have the nicest urban recreational areas/parklands?
Boston seems really nice, as does Chicago actually. What about Philadelphia? If I move to the US (if I can get the visa and job I definitely will) I'd like to live in a place with nice parks and gardens.
St. Louis has some of the nicest urban parks in the nation. The main park, Forest Park, is 50% larger than New York's Central Park. There is also the the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, where the arch is located. There is also Tower Grove Park, Carondalet Park, Lafeyette Square, and several smaller parks.
I was very impressed with the parks in Chicago and NYC when I visited over the summer. They were very green, lush, and nicely landscaped. Not sure how different they feel and look in winter but during summer they are very nice imo.
San Diego also has some nice parklands such as Balboa Park and Mission Bay Park. Plus all of the urban canyons all over SD provide a nice refuge right in the middle of the city and suburbia.
San Francisco is also another city that has some nice big parks such as GG Park and the Presidio.
Washington DC by far has the best park lands I have seen in a major US City. Also having the National Mall open 24/7/365 and being extremely safe any time of the day. I have seen joggers there at 3am. I cant think of any other city where you can do that.
Chicago in a close second.
Washington DC by far has the best park lands I have seen in a major US City. Also having the National Mall open 24/7/365 and being extremely safe any time of the day. I have seen joggers there at 3am. I cant think of any other city where you can do that.
Chicago in a close second.
I'm sorry, but DC doesn't even come close to NYC when it comes to parkland. Not only does NYC have the most parkland, there are a few parks that are much nicer than the National Mall. Central Park is the first that comes to mind.
And I wouldn't be caught dead at the National Mall (or Central Park) at 3 am.
Dallas has one of the largest if not the largest city lake in America - White Rock Lake. The Dallas Arboretum is located on the east shore and on the north shore is Flag Pole Hill, a large park in its on right. Just to the south of the spillway is Tenison Park, which contains two 18 hole courses and that adjoins Samuell Grand Park, home to playing fields, a rose garden, tennis courts, a recreation center and an ampitheater used for the Dallas Shakespeare Festival. The Santa Fe Trail will connect all this plus provide access to downtown.
Depending on what you look for in a great park, Richmond has Belle Isle and the James River Park system offering Class 4-5 whitewater, great mountain biking/trail running, rock climbing, swimming, fishing and an overall raw/natural feel you'd normally only get from more remote parks... in fact it's been the host of the Xterra East Coast championship for quite a few years and is the favorite for many racers.
For more traditional City parks we have Maymont and Byrd Park.
Rock Creek Park in DC kills Central Park for the amount of activities you can do! You can get lost in Rock Creek Park and not know that you are in the middle of the city. Plus it is three times the size of Central Park and has a diverse landscape. People are hanging out on the National Mall 24 hours a day. From the steps of the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall is very safe.
It's really the events and amenities found in Manhattan's parks that make them great. Central Park, Bryant Park, Thompkins Square Park, and others have events going on all through the year (reaching a peak during the summer) and this is what makes them so great. As far as having tranquil urban escapes though, the parks of Manhattan aren't that great since they're always so busy. The only place I've found to be almost clear of people during the day is Inwood Hill Park every once in a while.
Of course, NYC is much more than just Manhattan and its pretty easy to find tranquility in the parks of the other boroughs.
Do you have any pics of Rock Creek Park, DC's Finest? It sounds fantastic.
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