I’m not sure why the Parkway was not included, maybe because it isn’t within the boundary of one city, or perhaps the reason is that we have not been keeping up our Parkway to the level where it can any longer be called “A Great City Park”.
Considering we’ve been falling behind about $1.8 million annually in basic maintenance for quite awhile, it could be the latter, but let’s hope it is the former.
Great City Parks
Need to pause and refresh? Where better than a meadow,
a trail, or a pond in one of the West's urban oases?
By John King
Great cities are defined by their skylines—and by their parks. Towers may look impressive on postcards, but parks are where people live. "They're places to let off steam, explore new paths, or just kick back and savor a bit of green amid the glamour and grit." With mountains and water close by, outdoor life is a big part of the reason people put down stakes in the West. A good city park validates why we live here. "There's no better proof of Western parks' unrivaled mix of natural splendor and man-made attractions than these seven urban sanctuaries. They define what city parks can—and should—be.
FOREST PARK, Portland
If developers, timbermen, and prospectors had gotten their way, Forest Park wouldn't exist. The northeast face of the Tualatin Mountains in western Portland has been logged, coveted by would-be landowners, and even prospected for oil. But despite these threats, the area's far-sighted citizens were able to reclaim the land.
In 1948, this 7.5-mile swath of rich green terrain became Forest Park. Since then, nature has reigned. Although the main entrance leads to Leif Erikson Drive, a car-free road that winds through the park for 11 miles, the real fun begins once you veer off onto the trails or fire roads and immerse yourself in a tangle of cedars, alders, ferns, moss, and nonnative English ivy (the park's current scourge). The trickle of nearby streams is louder than the hum of distant freeways.
As for wildlife, 62 species of mammals have been spotted within the park's 5,155 acres. This includes black bears—but fortunately joggers are a more common sight.www.portlandparks.org, (503) 823-7529
BALBOA PARK, San Diego
Mention Balboa Park to people outside San Diego, and what likely comes to mind is the San Diego Zoo. With its collection of 4,000 animals (some rare and endangered) representing more than 800 species, it's one of North America's largest. In fact, the zoo occupies more than 100 of Balboa Park's 1,200 acres, and visitors who don't want to cover that distance on foot can choose a 45-minute guided bus tour or a gondola ride.
But if the zoo's the only thing you see in this park just north of downtown San Diego, you'll miss a spate of attractions that includes a miniature railroad, a working artists' colony, one of the world's largest outdoor organs, a Japanese garden, and 15 museums. Historic buildings from two expositions—the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935 California Pacific International Exhibition—house many of the museums, so you'll also get an eyeful of ornate structures, including the Botanical Building with its iconic lily pond. Otherwise, you can picnic, barbecue, hike, skate, or indulge in just about any outdoor pleasure that catches your fancy.www.balboapark.org, (619) 239-0512
BIDWELL PARK, Chico, Calif.
Bidwell Park in downtown Chico looks to be nothing more than a spacious neighborhood park framed by houses and tree-lined streets. But not many neighborhoods have an enormous swimming "hole" created by damming and concreting a creek or a playground with structures that resemble mining tunnels and a piece of Swiss cheese. And no other neighborhood park extends 11 miles into the Sierra foothills.
Created in 1905 with a 1,092-acre bequest from Annie Bidwell, the wife of one of Chico's founders, the park acquired another 2,578 acres in the years that followed. Bidwell stipulated that no alcohol would be allowed; but other temptations include a golf course, an observatory, and the Yahi Trail, which passes a tight gorge with walls of dark, long-hardened lava.
And if the terrain seems familiar to film buffs, there's a reason: Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood was filmed here in 1937.www.bidwellpark.org, (530) 896-7800
