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For me, a great park is one that provides a very clear contrast between city and nature. When you enter a park, I think you should feel as if you've been absorbed into an environment separate and distinct from the bustle and drudgery of city living. It should inspire your sense of wonderment and adventure. A great park also includes wonderful architecture, streams, ponds, lakes, statues, and things of that sort. So, as far as my criteria go, these cities have the best parks in America:
1. New York: Central Park is great, but there's also the rarely mentioned Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights. It feels very secluded from the city, and the park has a movie theater, which I thought was cool. Plus, the views of the Hudson are breathtaking.
2. Washington, DC's Rock Creek Park: You quickly forget that you're in a city.
Tie with DC for #2 slot - Philadelphia: Valley Green and Wissahickon Creek are incredible. Like DC, many of Philadelphia's Northwestern neighborhoods are integrated into the parks, so they are easily accesible. For some people, all they need to do to access the park is open the door and walk through their back yard. Again, you would never think you were in a city.
I'll add that NYC's been increasing its park-age in the last few years. Highlights would include the High Line Park built on an old elevated rail track (love the idea though it looks and feels like the manicured lawn of a corporate complex), East River State Park and the opening of some piers around it, and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Richmond can't compete with the bigger cities in landscaped parks though Maymont is gorgeous... where it leaves most cities in the dust is with the wild James River Park system, running right through the heart of the City. Want to talk about escaping.. how many downtowns can you whitewater raft and kayak in real Class IV rapids or ride very technical mtb trails?
The following images courtesy of Flickr: sandy's dad's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29847057@N03/ - broken link)
The following courtesy of Flickr Flickr: Brendan 29's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bashx001/ - broken link)
Chicago has one big park I like in downtown, and that's the only time I'll ever vote for Chicago again
Well if you want large expanses, that's why they set up a 70,000 acre ring of forest preserves around the outside of Chicago. The parks inside the city limits are more manicured urban park of maybe 1 square mile each.
One thing I like about the city parks is how damn well kept and maintained they are. I wasn't use to that where I came from...
Even in the middle of the ghetto the large parks tend to be absolutely beautiful.
Seattle has a fantastic park system. There are parks literally everywhere you go, always within walking distance, even downtown. Seattle's park system was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, who were famous for their landscaping all over the country. Seattle has several large parks, the largest three being in North Seattle, and hundreds of medium and small parks dotted around the city. What's great is that they are almost all interconnected by trails and bike paths so you can get around them easily.
My favorite Seattle parks are:
Magnuson Park, the city's most popular.
http://www.bergerpartnership.com/projects/on_the_boards/images/magnuson_park_1.jpg (broken link)
Discovery Park, the largest and most diverse.
http://www.travelbeat.net/sidetrips/images/420seattle%20discovery%20park.jpg (broken link)
Gas Works Park, aka "America's Weirdest Park."
Green Lake Park, great for jogging and paddleboating.
Woodland Park, for the award-winning Woodland Park Zoo.
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I've only been to San Diego a few times, but the impression of San Diego's Balboa Park stayed with me forever. The place is huge! It's filled with forest, field, some amazing architecture and the awesome San Diego Zoo.
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These are the two cities I think have the coolest parks. Seattle has a great superstructure of interconnected green space with fantastic diversity. San Diego has the magnificent Balboa Park: huge, diverse, fun. I love both cities.
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