{ January 6th, 2009 }
Why I Heart Grant Park, For Starters
There are many reasons to love Grant Park (the neighborhood, that is), but let’s face it: the park itself is the true star of the show. It is Grant Park, after all. Removing it from the neighborhood that surrounds it would be akin to telling peanut butter that he could not longer consort with jelly, or separating Cheech from Chong. Some things just go better together.
I fell in love with Grant Park the first time I set my eyes on her. The park’s big enough to provide residents and visitors alike with all the park amenities that you could ever want (tennis, pool, basketball, playground, picnic pavilions, meadows, great trees, recreation center, wide walking paths, etc.) but not so big that it has to deal with “big park” issues (dreadful parking, loud concerts, etc.).
The Facts:
- It was founded in 1883, making it the oldest park in Atlanta.
- The park itself covers 44 acres, and is also the home to Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta Cyclorama, a 360 degree portrait of the Battle of Atlanta.
- Grant Park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers. Their daddy, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed that little patch of grass in New York known fondly as Central Park.
For more information on Grant Park, check out the Grant Park Conservancy’s website here.
For more examples of how the Olmsted Brothers worked to get out of their father’s ridiculously large shadow, click here.
