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excellent idea for a thread. (it's a lot better with photos) my favorites that I've visited in order:
1. Brussels, Belgium: Grand Place
Loved the over-the-top flamboyant architecture and outdoor cafes, Grand scale, and people making out after dark.
2. Ghent, Belgium: Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market)
Loved the Flemish architecture surrounding the square and the cafe culture it surrounded.
3. London, England: Piccadilly Circus
Vibrant and classical architecture. People watching mecca. Signs, neon, busses, and foot traffic
4. Mexico City, Mexico: Zocalo
enormous cathedral and square. beautiful buildings surround it. Huge flag in the middle as well.
5. Paris, France: La Concorde
ornate fountains and surrounding buildings. great views beyond with Eiffel tower
6. Lisbon, Portugal: Praça de Don Pedro IV
I love a vibrant square with a grand monument and fountains. neat patterns on the ground (very Iberian)
7. New York, New York: Washington Square
Great people watching and lovely fountain. Love the arch with the Empire state building poking behind
8 Puebla, Mexico: Zocalo
colorful plaza with arcades and plazas showcasing Puebla's Spanish colonial architecture. Glorious central fountain and monument. Best pancakes I've ever had in my life served here.
9. Lisbon, Portugal: Praça do Comercio
Great views on the waterfront and of the castle behind it. Love the yellow of the surrounding buildings and the trams that whiz by. Triumphal arch and monument too.
10. Madrid, Spain: Plaza de Canalejas
Gorgeous architecture and lamp posts. Outdoor cafes
George Square in Glasgow was recently refurbished and I think Manchester is currently in the process of redeveloping the St Peter's Square area and the area around Exhange Square.
This would be my favourite if it only would have some more trees! Beautiful setting, size and surrounding architecture, but looks a bit plain without some nice trees, like oaks or linden.
In my current hometown this is my favourite square. It's not grand, but it's special for me. A small nice haven in the middle of the centre. Sit under the lindens and watch the people and cars passing by.
This would be my favourite if it only would have some more trees! Beautiful setting, size and surrounding architecture, but looks a bit plain without some nice trees, like oaks or linden.
In my current hometown this is my favourite square. It's not grand, but it's special for me. A small nice haven in the middle of the centre. Sit under the lindens and watch the people and cars passing by.
I agree that George's Square in Glasgow does look austere and that there is a balance that has to be struck in relation to greenery.
The Garden Squares of London and the green squares found it many British Cities are often far more relaxing that vast paved areas.
George Square is however used for a multitude of activities, and is always changing to accomodate events, indeed it will be hosting Football Games later this year.
The Garden Squares of London and the green squares found it many British Cities are often far more relaxing that vast paved areas.
Some of the green spaces in London pictured, while relaxing I'm sure, looked rather dull and plain vanilla IMO. It's interesting to see everyone's version of "impressive" and "beautiful" as described in the title of the thread.
Some of the green spaces in London pictured, while relaxing I'm sure, looked rather dull and plain vanilla IMO. It's interesting to see everyone's version of "impressive" and "beautiful" as described in the title of the thread.
London has the advantage of having a lot of bustling busy paved squares as well as hundreds of beautiful garden squares, as for being plain vanilla, I would have thought an oasis of nature and beauty was anything but. I would far rather sit in a nice garden square in the summer than some bland and austere paved or concrete square.
I find cities without much green space bland and vanilla, as well as far more dirty and polluted. I love every single green space and I am thankful that London and other British Cities have such fantastic green squares, parks, commons, heaths etc.
Your definition of bland certainly dioes not tally with my definition.
Last edited by Brave New World; 05-06-2016 at 10:58 AM..
London has the advantage of having a lot of bustling busy paved squares as well as hundreds of beautiful garden squares, as for being plain vanilla, I would have thought an oasis of nature and beauty was anything but. I would far rather sit in a nice garden square in the summer than some bland and austere paved or concrete square.
I find cities without much green space bland and vanilla, as well as far more dirty and polluted. I love every single green space and I am thankful that London and other British Cities have such fantastic green squares, parks, commons, heaths etc.
Your definition of bland certainly dioes not tally with my definition.
I too enjoy Iron Lungs of the great cities of the world: Hyde Park in London, Parque Retiro in Madrid, St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Central Park in NY etc. To me you seem to be describing "parks" as opposed to pedestrianized squares. I could be wrong
One of my favourite squares is Melbourne's Federation Square, it simply has a brilliant mix between low-rise modern architecture, late 19th-early 20th century architecture (i think Neo Renaissance) and the shyscrapers in the behind
As for Italy. I wouldn't even know where to start, it's the country of squares. There's everything for all tastes. This is Tuscany only, probably the region with the highest amount of scenic squares
I too enjoy Iron Lungs of the great cities of the world: Hyde Park in London, Parque Retiro in Madrid, St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Central Park in NY etc. To me you seem to be describing "parks" as opposed to pedestrianized squares. I could be wrong
These are famous squares, whether grassed or paved, they are still squares.
I actually only showed a few grassed squares, Leicester Square has some grass but has enstensive paved area, Trafalgar Square is paved, Sloane Square is paved, Piccadilly is paved, The Square at Somerset House is paved, Kings Cross is paved as for Finsbury Square it's used for sports such as crown green bowling, so is not paved and it has an underground car park directly under it. Canary Wharf has squares such as Cobalt Square and even Covent Garden was a Square for flowers sellers originally, whilst Paternoster Square near St Paul's is also paved.
I only put a few examples of Garden Squares on, as there are over 400 such squares proted under the 'Squares Preservation Act 1931', the ones I showed were Grosvenor Squae which is of course famous due to strong US links, the current US Embassy is there, there are numerous statues of US Presidents such as the Roosevelt Memorial and statues of US Leaders such as Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan as well as a 9/11 memorial. So the square is of some interest, as is Parliament Square which also has statues of British, American other world leaders.
Russell Square is another Garden Square and is close to the British Museum and Senate Building as well as London Colleges such as UCL, SOAS and Birbeck etc and attract a lot of students, and is a busy and vibrant garden square. The Hotel Russell in Russell Square is an extremely attractive building and these beautifu garden squares are often surrounded with equally beautiful archiecture.
In terms of Berkeley Square it is one of London's best known squares, with numerous famous people having lived there, the square is also known through the song 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'.
As for the other two Gardens Squares Bedford Square and Fitzroy Square, they are nice examples of Garden Squares and both are surrounded by stunning architecture. However the majority of the squares I posted were not Garden Squares and in terms of the Garden Squares I did post many are very famous London Squares.
Last edited by Brave New World; 05-06-2016 at 03:43 PM..
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