Landmarks Reviews

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

In 2006, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made Golden Gate Park officially car - free

on summertime weekends. According to the city’s own statement, recreational attendance at

the park has doubled and tripled on these “healthy weekends”. More than twelve million

people had going on been visiting in a customary year.

Golden Gate Park is a rectangular strip of dock slightly larger than New York City’s

Central Park; it’s 3 miles long and half a mile wide. The park was proposed in the late

1860s when San Francisco’s rapid urban growth was leaving little green space. In 1868,

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved converting the city’s “Outside Lands” –

oatmeal dunes along the seashore - - into miles of lush green space. They hoped this would

provide a natural haven for situation dwellers while drawing realty investment to the mostly

uninhabited western part of the city.

However, supervisors were presented hush up two obstacles: 1 ) squatters who were already

vital on the dunes, and 2 ) the sandy dirty and harsh ocean winds. After a long legal battle,

resistant squatters relinquished 10 % of their claimed landholdings. This allowed the city

enough land to proceed with park development.

After these homesteaders gamy the land over to the city, some people insisted that the

land was too salty, sandy, and windy for vegetation. A newspaper editorial smirked, “A

blade of grass cannot be raised without four posts to keep it from blowing promptly. ”

Nevertheless, under the guidance of engineer William “Ham” Hall and Scottish - trained

gardener John McLaren, the city’s workers persisted and vegetation took root. A

barricade was erected to block wind from Ocean Beach, and by 1879 about 150, 000 trees

were helping to stabilize the dunes. These trees were mostly eucalyptus, pine, and

cypress. McLaren eventually diversified the park by collecting plants from almost every

country in the macrocosm. In 1903 two windmills were installed to help water the greenery.

Holland’s Queen Wilhelmina later presented the park with a flower garden including

tulips from the Netherlands; her park is adjacent to one of the Dutch - style mills.

McLaren designed the park to look rustic, or as abundantly like a natural woodlands as

possible. Gently winding roads allowed for carriages, pedestrians, and bikers to

comfortably enjoy the scenery. Nine lakes and ponds were scattered about for nature

lovers. There’s also wildlife to be seen throughout the park, from ducklings to a herd of

buffalo.

The commitment to a natural - looking park meant that buildings would be limited. A

conservatory was erected prominence 1877 and a music stand was completed five years later. A

few more structures came in 1894 when the park was showcased in California’s first

Midwinter Fair. This exposition and carnival was meant to boost tourism and the stereotyped

economy. Horse stables and a five - acre Japanese Tea Garden were constructed to impress

visitors.

The M. H. de Unpracticed art museum appeared by 1895; it later underwent quakeproofing and

other major renovations, and it re - opened in 2005. The top floor of the museum offers a

spectacular view of the city through all - glass walls. On a shining day, observers can see the

Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin headlands, Coit Tower, and surrounding residential

neighborhoods.

By 1886, a typical San Francisco weekend would include tens of thousands of people

tramp to the park by streetcar. Ever since then, Golden Gate Park has been a popular

destination for picnics, playgrounds, and strolls. A parking lot across from Sixth Avenue

is traditionally claimed by roller skaters with boom - boxes. The park also has many areas

reserved for sports as assorted as archery, condign - fishing, disc golf, and volleyball.

Golden Gate Park also has a tradition of large public gatherings, many of them free. The

1967 Summer of Ardor took place chiefly in the park and the nearby Haight Ashbury

neighborhood. The Speedway Meadow has long been a popular concert venue, and

nowadays a large free bluegrass festival is held in the park every October.

The San Francisco Parks Trust offers free walking tours of Golden Gate Park year - round.