Golden Gate Park
In 2006, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made Golden Gate Park officially car-free
on summertime weekends. According to the citys own report, recreational attendance at
the park has doubled and tripled on these healthy weekends. More than twelve million
people had already been visiting in a typical year.
Golden Gate Park is a rectangular strip of land slightly larger than New York Citys
Central Park; its 3 miles long and half a mile wide. The park was proposed in the late
1860s when San Franciscos rapid urban growth was leaving little green space. In 1868,
San Franciscos Board of Supervisors approved converting the citys Outside Lands
sand dunes along the seashore — into miles of lush green space. They hoped this would
provide a natural haven for city dwellers while drawing realty investment to the mostly
uninhabited western part of the city.
However, supervisors were presented with two obstacles: 1) squatters who were already
living on the dunes, and 2) the sandy soil 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 turned 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 away.
Nevertheless, under the guidance of engineer William Ham Hall and Scottish-trained
gardener John McLaren, the citys 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 world. In 1903 two windmills were installed to help water the greenery.
Hollands 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 much 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. Theres 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 in 1877 and a music stand was completed five years later. A
few more structures came in 1894 when the park was showcased in Californias first
Midwinter Fair. This exposition and carnival was meant to boost tourism and the general
economy. Horse stables and a five-acre Japanese Tea Garden were constructed to impress
visitors.
The M. H. de Young 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 clear 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
traveling 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 diverse as archery, fly-fishing, disc golf, and volleyball.
Golden Gate Park also has a tradition of large public gatherings, many of them free. The
1967 Summer of Love took place mainly 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.
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