America's Best City Parks
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/832382570_DEnfQ-M.jpg)
Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres located throughout the city. However, quantity doesn't always equate to quality. According to Forbes Magazine, here is a list of urban public spaces that are considered some of America's Best "City" Parks.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-mar-americas-best-city-parks
Access for starters. And then legislation to follow.
After City Life and I paddled Hogans Creek out to the Maxwell House plant he then showed me not only Confederate Park but then Klutho Park. Two separate parks which are separated by a road with little clearance to extend a Waterway experience. For me that was the first time I saw Klutho Park.
Just recently I had the pleasure of paddling together with Jacksonville city council Group 5 At-large candidate Michelle Tappouni and I believe with her vision and leadership that she will move this process faster then what has previously occurred.
To also accelerate the process I have a call into Sheriff Rutherford who could play a key and pivotal role right now especially with this Park system from the corner of Washington St. and Beaver St. to the River.
To get us on the special list it would take an active as well as a passive recreational access that will then show and say to the country to Visit Jacksonville. Daniel O'Byrne I spoke with councilman Joost and he wants to paddle Hogans Creek with you. Time for you guys to step up to the plate too.
Confederate Park of which Hogans Creek played a significant role in Jacksonville's history flows out to our St. Johns River our American Heritage River and that alone puts it on a special list already.
Mmmm, I disagree with Patterson Park and Oakland Cemetery, strongly. Also, given all of the great parks out there, while Audubon is great (much better than the worn down City Park), I don't think it's a top 10 urban park. Replace Oakland Cemetery (cemetery?) in Atlanta with any one of these: Piedmont Park (Olmsted designed/influenced), Chastain Park, Candler Park, Grant Park, or Centennial Olympic Park. They are all urban, not cemeteries but actual parks, heavily visited/used, famous, and historied.
I don't know anything about that park in Phoenix; anyone ever been? Also, I have heard of Cal Henderson Park, but only because I'm a nerd like that. Looks used, but doesn't look top 10 great by any means. Seattle doesn't have a nicer park than that in a more urban setting? I would think some of LA's park are more heavily used and look just as nice, and are certainly more urban.
I think Lincoln Park, also in Chicago, should also be on the list.
For starters, they should fix that railing so it isn't a safety hazard. I think as much as improving the park is important, raising awareness and support for it is even more important. We could drop $2 million in that park tomorrow and I don't really think it would boost attendance. We need to host festivals and events in the parks and showcase the beauty that is already there so the public demands that we bring them back to their former beauty.
There has been a plan in place for the Hogans Greenbelt for awhile now.
Let's start with IMPLEMENTING that plan.
Then, lets turn to finishing the Riverwalk and breaking ground on the Bay Street Pier Park.
It would be a low impact version of East Boston Pier Park.
I truly believe that these two public spaces that would essentially tie into one another, would enter Jacksonville into this discussion of 'best public spaces'
After visiting more than 10 major cities including New York City, Indianapolis, San Jose, San Francisco, Birmingham, Huntsville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Houston, and more, I have to admit that one of the most MEMORABLE things about Jacksonville is the prolific park system. It stands out as one of the unique features of Jacksonville.
-Josh
I have a few problems with the list, mostly that I am offended Fairmount Park in Philly is not on there. Some on the list are great parks, others not so much. Post Office Square is cool and interesting, but I donno if its America's best, though the Common definitely belongs. No idea why a cemetery is on the list. Why are people jogging, picnicking , and festivaling in a cemetery anyway? And Encanto is just horrible. Everything artificial and its basically an amusement park. Also, if you're going to have places with museums et al like Grant, then the National Mall absolutely belongs.
Not to make too much of one of these lists since they are subjective and arbitrary.
Quote from: fieldafm on March 03, 2011, 09:23:36 AM
Then, lets turn to finishing the Riverwalk and breaking ground on the Bay Street Pier Park.
It would be a low impact version of East Boston Pier Park.
The Riverwalk (Riverwalks if you somehow tied them together), along with the public pier, tied into Metro Park, having the Landing and the Arts Market along its path, I think could absolutely make a list like this. Tie it into Metro Park, then figure a creative way to make Everbank et al absorb into the park (more space efficient parking or less need to use a car to get there), and continuous up the creeks and you'd have a serious contender. Be able to get across town without leaving a park would be nice.
I'm so disappointed that our own ROOSEVELT PARK, MASONS PARK, PANAMA PARK, MANN-JENNINGS PARK, OSTRICH FARM nor DIXIELAND made the list...
Oh, my bad, we tore them down or otherwise abandoned them. In fact I smell a MJ article on MANN-JENNINGS PARK just around the bend. Noone ought to love this because Long Branch Creek flows right alongside.
Shame is, BALBOA in San Diego had NOTHING over our DIXIELAND Park except that it's still there.
OCKLAWAHA
Typical of these Forbes lists, this is pretty lame. Oakland Cemetery rather than Piedmont Park? No Griffith Park (LA)? Where's Rock Creek Park (DC)? If these didn't make it, it's no wonder nothing in Jacksonville did (although I would nominate Kathryn Abby Hanna Park).
Ock, do you mean the May Mann Jennings Park up by the cemetary? The WPA or the CCC (don't remember which) improved it during the depression. COJ.net tells us the park has "in recent years been allowed to return to it's natural state" or something like that. A/K/A "After the govt spent money on it in the 1930's, we didn't keep it up."
A real shame after all May Mann Jennings did for the parks in this state.
Surprised Savannah's squares were omitted. I agree the Riverwalks could make it with a little more effort. Finishing the Friendship Fountain and tying the North Riverwalk to RAM and Memorial could put it up there.
Personal favorite parks in Jax:
-Riverwalks
-Memorial Park - beautiful, unique, and functional
-Balis Park - Unique location. Like a little cloud where you can watch the world go by.
-Hanna Park - I prefer taking my sons here as opposed to Hugeonaut (sp?). The cars on the beach make me nervous since my kids are young.
-Stinson Park - Nice location. Plus playground equipment for the kids.
Jacksonville barely cracks the largest 40 metro areas in the country, so if anything is a little unrealistic, it's drawing any conclusions from it not appearing in a top 10 list. I think we need at least a top 50 to better grasp if we're behind in any way.
In general, my favorite parks are the ones you can walk to from your home or business. Sometimes it is not the park that makes it great but how accessible it is.
1) I doubt there is anything in Jacksonville's history that is far better than Balboa Park. We're talking a park that is basically unparalleled in natural beauty as well as manmade beauty. We're talking about a park much larger than Dixieland ever was. We're talking about a park with beautiful monuments, churches, museums, and the SD Zoo within its bounds. We're talking about an old old park with history. We're talking about a park that's more accessible than by ferry (i.e. Dixieland).
2) We can all agree that some on this list deserve to be on this list and some are put in there by people smoking rocks. Of the great parks on this list, virtually all are surrounded by high density residential (not single family residential). Audubon Park is surrounded by SFR that's way more compact and mixed in with mid-rises as opposed to most parks in Jacksonville. I still don't think Audubon Park is a top 10 park anyway.
3) The great parks in Atlanta each cater to their respective areas.
-Piedmont Park is the Central Park of Atlanta and carries on as so, with beautiful landscapes and buildings, residential highrises surrounding about 1/3 of the park and medium density residential on the other sides, and festivals and events all the time.
-Chastain Park is a semi-urban park in North Buckhead surrounded by million dollar homes. It features a golf course, more abundant parking, an equestrian/horse riding and jumping place (whatever the hell they're called), and a space for outdoor concerts for big names like DMB, U2, etc. It's pretty close to the Buckhead CBD and offers good skyline views, too, an there are jogging trails around the periphery for the local residents.
-Grant Park is a "city park" like City Park and Audubon Park in New Orleans. It has the Atlanta Zoo and a Civil War memorial which blows any memorials in Florida out of the water (it's like a cross between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials in DC)
-Candler Park is in a liberal but wealthy area of East Atlanta, and plays host to that area with a golf course and beer festivals.
-Centennial Olympic Park is a touristy/downtown type park, and it presents itself perfectly as such. It's connected to the Aquarium, the World of Coke, the CNN Center, the Atlanta Merchandise/Gift Marts, the big hotels, and Phillips Arena/Georgia Dome/Georgia World Congress Center. There are fountains, LEDs at night, and "monumental" iconic features, as well as space for concerts (I have seen Ludacris, LL Cool J, Chevelle, and someone else there that I can't remember).
Captain Zissou is right about the events. The thing is, I'm not sure what comes first: successful events or a successful/beautiful park space. I know that in the last year or so, both Paul McCartney and the Eagles have played to crowds of 100,000 in Piedmont Park, but Piedmont Park is almost world famous. Equally big acts go to Chastain Park, and literally all of the nice intown Atlanta parks (and Stone Mountain park) play host to events, festivals, and concerts. The Dogwood Festival is coming up in Piedmont Park. Sweetwater 420 Festival is coming up in Candler Park. There is Spring on the Green, a weekly movie showing in Piedmont Park. There is MovieNights every Wednesday night when the weather is nice on the 5th St bridge over the Connector Interstate, and that brings thousands of area residents and of course Tech Students.
Jacksonville probably needs to fix up its parks at least a little before attracting large festivals/concerts, etc, and then when the parks become more popular more money can be poured into them. I still contend that the COJ needs to take the first step and quit calling its park system the biggest in the country until they actually have something to boast about in the form of a couple parks that can be presentable to visitors.
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on March 03, 2011, 01:14:54 PM
Ock, do you mean the May Mann Jennings Park up by the cemetary? The WPA or the CCC (don't remember which) improved it during the depression. COJ.net tells us the park has "in recent years been allowed to return to it's natural state" or something like that. A/K/A "After the govt spent money on it in the 1930's, we didn't keep it up."
A real shame after all May Mann Jennings did for the parks in this state.
Yep, that's the one... and I think Cousin May would want me to stir up a hornets nest over that! BTW, that is EXACTLY how I read that line too - another case of lost by neglect. "LOST BY NEGLECT" A HISTORY OF JACKSONVILLE'S BOLD AND BAWDY PAST... Hum has a ring to it doesn't it? (http://museumoffloridahistory.com/images/voices/May-Mann-Jennings-gv000477.jpg)
May Mann Jennings
QuoteMay Mann Jennings was born in Bayonne, Centerville, New Jersey in 1872. Her family moved to Jacksonville, Florida while she was an infant. She graduated from St. Joseph's convent in St. Augustine and married William Sherman Jennings on May 12, 1891. During her husband's administration as Governor, she was known in Florida for her outstanding civic and political service. Jennings was an organizer of the Duval County Federation of Women's clubs and was president of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. Jennings was known as the "Mother of Florida Forestry" for she took a large part in securing the legislative act creating the state Board of Forestry. She was also instrumental in the development of Royal Palm State Park near Homestead, now part of the Everglades National Park. Mary Mann Jennings died on April 25, 1963.
Biography prepared by Ruthanne Vogel, University of Miami
Excerpts from May Mann Jenning's letter to Minnie Moore-Willson, May 12, 1915, University of Miami Libraries.
"I am thoroughly acquainted with the work in the Glades and probably know more of it than any other woman in the State, and my husband has had a great deal to do with the work for the State a well as private individuals as a lawyer, and I know of no scandal of any kind that could be unearthed in connection with the Glades, and even if there was, it would not be the part of the Federation to take part in giving Florida a black eye...
I think you realize from this letter that there is not the difference that you imagined existing in our attitude towards the Indians, except that I do not feel that the drainage of the Everglades and the exploiting of land scandal, even if it exists, has anything whatsoever to do with the State's attitudes towards the Indians, nor its duty to provide for them...'"
SOURCE: http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/bios/jenningsmm.htm
OCKLAWAHA
If your contention is that Jacksonville's best residents are those from NJ, I'm with ya :P
Not at all my friend, it's just one more case of a great American from New Jersey that saw the error of her ways and moved to JACKSONVILLE! ;D
Otherwise, it's just a fine example of a park that we "had", that was once on a primary streetcar route to the Northside, and languishes today having been largely bypassed by the road builders. A park for which millions (in today's dollars) were spent, great amounts of love and labor, and we've completely wasted it.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on March 03, 2011, 10:24:54 AM
I'm so disappointed that our own ROOSEVELT PARK, MASONS PARK, PANAMA PARK, MANN-JENNINGS PARK, OSTRICH FARM nor DIXIELAND made the list...
Oh, my bad, we tore them down or otherwise abandoned them. In fact I smell a MJ article on MANN-JENNINGS PARK just around the bend. Noone ought to love this because Long Branch Creek flows right alongside.
Shame is, BALBOA in San Diego had NOTHING over our DIXIELAND Park except that it's still there.
OCKLAWAHA
Is this the mae Mann Jennings of the Jennings land empire??? Governor jennings-67,000 acres at one time.A conservation/park ethic living on to this day in Jennings State Forest,via Sanlebrydo Lumber??
I'm a Baltimore native and I can say that including Patterson Park was an error. You don't want to be in that area after dark unless you're looking to hook up with a drug dealer or male prostitute. Besides all that most of these parks are no longer parks in the 1910's sense. They are commons or greens having long since had their horticultural diversity lost through neglect. You can get a sense of what Confederate Park was like at one time if you walk under the rose arbour when it's in bloom, beautiful and fragrant.
Articles like this just further my thoughts that the Shipyards and/or JEA Southbank lands should be converted into world class "signature" legacy parks/venues for Jacksonville. The posts in response demonstrate the impact of such parks on visitors and community residents, alike.
I also redirect those interested to my thread related to this subject at: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4434.0.html
Quote from: BrSpiritus on March 04, 2011, 12:15:51 PM
You don't want to be in that area after dark unless you're looking to hook up with a drug dealer or male prostitute.
Maybe that was heavily weighted in their rating system.