In defense of Berlin's Tiergarten, it was originally a hunting preserve for deer (and Hasenheide was for rabbits), so it's big and intimidating. But there are still facilities in it that serve the neighboring residents. And throughout Berlin there are multiple volksparks, people's parks, which have everything the author mentions.
In most cities, parks evolve to serve the residents.
Berlin parks are difficult to beat! I lived half a decade at 2min from Treptower Park, my morning walk to the office, through the Soviet memorial, was so awesome. I’m now in Hamburg and while we have some nice parks I do miss the ones from Berlin
Tiergarten is surrounded by government buildings, embassies, malls, big wide roads and office skyscrapers. None are "living" spaces.
I love Tiergarten, but I see the surrounding being overrun by these as why it is so underrated/unknown. Otherwise an amazing place to cycle through, chill on the grass with friends or grab a beer in Café am Neuen See.
"everything the author mentions" I wouldn't say this is totally accurate. There are no swimmable lakes in the central part of the city for example. Certainly there are parks that have volleyball, running tracks, kids parks and grilling areas, which is great. But it sounds like the Hamburg one goes above and beyond.
I just took a bicycle ride on purpose-built paths across Vienna from one of its western most districts out to the Danube Island, and along the way I passed multiple parks, in full use by the residents of the city, escaping the sweltering heat ... from the small gardens around the Ring, to Stadtpark, and out into the Prater reserve .. I even saw folks riding their horses in a lake of the Prater reserve, something I haven't seen in a city in a while.
Last weekend there was a free concert (PopFest) put on for all to enjoy.
It struck me, as I was riding through one of the worlds' most livable cities, that the careful planning for all of these locations was done a hundred or more years ago .. and that the love of the city's planners for the city's population is clearly evident. Whether its the open fountains, fresh water supplies, well maintained and curated lawns and gardens, easy and accessible public transportation, or the incredible asset to city-dwellers sanity that is the Danube Island, its very clear that this is a city which cares about its people.
And I've seen it all over Europe, too.
In the USA, where I lived for 15 years before this - we had the benefit of enduring hourly commutes, twice a day, on elevated platforms above the concrete jungle, and dare you ever left that commute to explore the neighborhoods usually ignored, there is not much public space to be had that wasn't occupied by misery.
Its a stark contrast in care on the part of the governments involved. I'll take Vienna's park-loving social system over that of LA or SF, any day.
Looks like a nice park! Was a bit odd of a read to me because the vast majority of the parks in my part the US are like this (sports fields, playgrounds, lakes, open green space, bike paths, grills, pavilions, etc), didn't realize I had taken that for granted.
I think it varies. "Park" can mean anything from basically wild forest to maintained green space and it may or may not include ammenities such as you listed.
I got the same sense at Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna. Not so much the practical amenities but that it's still obvious that it was made for royalty going for strolls or looking for secluded shade areas. It's just a genuinely nice space & was more than a little jealous of the joggers that clearly use it for their daily run
I don't disagree but the great thing about Vienna is that, while Schlosspark Schönbrunn is amazing and puts most other city parks into shame, it's not at the top of nice parks in Vienna - there's also Prater, Wienerberg and especially Donauinsel.
Yes, Schlosspark is quite nice for jogging or walking. There are also two sandboxes for kids. However, you're not supposed to walk on most of the grass, so it's indeed mostly a park to look at, but not a park to be used.
One of my favorite parks and much lesser knows is Westpark in Munich. Similarly built around usage and still unique since it was originally built for a national garden exhibition it features a rich set of small little areas from around the world, a Japanese party, a Chinese part, French areas, English areas. It has outdoor theaters, playgrounds, a lake, a communial area and much more . It’s worth a visit when you are in Munich
I wanted to say the same thing, Westpark is a gem, loved living next to it and miss it a lot. One of my favorite things there is the Kino Mond un Sterne, during summer they play movies in this open air amphitheatre surrounded by trees and with a small lake with a fountain on the other side.
Moving from Manchester to Hamburg the difference in greenery is already pretty astounding, but Stadtpark is really the jewel. Wonderfully maintained, easy transport access and close enough to the centre that you can walk it without the dog getting exhausted, a few spots to get a beer or a schorle when needed. One of the highlights of the city.
> What stayed with me was not the swimming. It was that none of it looked planned. She was not spending her afternoon at the lake, she was just going through her day, and the lake happened to be part of it.
Fascinating phenomenon, but this sentence caused me to stop reading and close the tab.
"Slop", I thought.
Now I think about it, I'm not even sure I can put my finger on what about that sentence came across as AI slop.
I am from Hamburg and I live about 6 minutes from the Stadtpark by foot. I walk my dog there pretty much every day and I am very grateful to live so close by. I spent two years living in Tokyo and although Tokyo also has its fair share of parks I feel the Stadtpark kind of outshines all of them. I like the authors focus on usability of the park. It really has so much to offer and it’s well maintained without looking sterile. They just repaved some of the sections with compacted gravel which feels very pleasant to walk on for me. I will say that on sunny weekends in summer there are sufficiently many careless people that litter and just throw their barbecue consumables wherever or place them next to the already overflowing trash bins instead of taking their trash with them, which is a little sad to see. But credits to the Müllabfuhr and park care takers for doing a really good job at cleaning it up afterwards. If you visit Hamburg I absolutely recommend going for an extended stroll there!
Parc Lafontaine in Montreal is really great too. It has:
- a pond (ice-skating in the winter)
- outdoors theatre
- indoor theatre
- Petanque court
- Training bikepark for kids
- Playgrounds
- Tennis, Soccer, baseball
- So much trees and picnic spots, on the ground and tables
- A little non-profit restaurant
And just generally a good vibe. We really have a great park culture in the city, that's not even our best one. Other parks have regular circus and larping gatherings, tamtams and other hippy shit.
Hamburg is one of the greenest cities in the world (summertime). Not too far from the Stadtpark you'll find the Olsdorfer Friedhof, which is the largest "park cemetery" in Europe. If the Stadtpark is still too busy for you, despite it actually never is really, the cemetery is even quieter to find some rest and a refreshing walk. I know it sounds strange, but I mean it. :-)
A couple of years back I took a horse and carriage ride around the Lüneburger Heide, a nature preserve just south of Hamburg. They really do a very good job of this sort of thing all over the region. Which I very much appreciate, because on balance a lot of this region of Germany feels like visiting midwestern suburbs...
As someone living in Stockholm I find this very interesting. A football field, or a rose garden are very good public infrastructure, and I will never argue against them. But I love to go around Stockholm forests. Yes, these are not parks but forests with wildlife, hiking paths, and nature all around. That connection with nature cannot be replaced with any kind of facilities.
> A lake in the middle of a big city that you can simply get into is not a normal thing.
Stockholm is a big city (for European standards) in the middle of a lake. So, this is probably very difficult to emulate for other cities. Sadly around Sweden, trees that have been harvested for wood are replaced with low quality forest that do not meet biodiversity targets.
> I also feel like during the winter, even though the park looks amazing under snow or fog, there are not many things to do.
Parks are amazing and we should have more in our cities. I see people hiking and running in the forest all year round. Forests and nature are better than parks to bring a pace of mind and mindfulness that cannot be replaced by anything else. And they usually are free, so everybody can enjoy them independently of their economic situation. But each steps forward is a welcome step. And parks are also needed.
We're living in Hesse and every time we make the long trip to go to Hamburg the Stadtpark is where we spend most of our time. You'll think I'm exaggerating but honestly, we're thinking of moving to Hamburg and the Stadtpark is the biggest reason.
29 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 49.6 ms ] threadIn defense of Berlin's Tiergarten, it was originally a hunting preserve for deer (and Hasenheide was for rabbits), so it's big and intimidating. But there are still facilities in it that serve the neighboring residents. And throughout Berlin there are multiple volksparks, people's parks, which have everything the author mentions.
In most cities, parks evolve to serve the residents.
I love Tiergarten, but I see the surrounding being overrun by these as why it is so underrated/unknown. Otherwise an amazing place to cycle through, chill on the grass with friends or grab a beer in Café am Neuen See.
Last weekend there was a free concert (PopFest) put on for all to enjoy.
It struck me, as I was riding through one of the worlds' most livable cities, that the careful planning for all of these locations was done a hundred or more years ago .. and that the love of the city's planners for the city's population is clearly evident. Whether its the open fountains, fresh water supplies, well maintained and curated lawns and gardens, easy and accessible public transportation, or the incredible asset to city-dwellers sanity that is the Danube Island, its very clear that this is a city which cares about its people.
And I've seen it all over Europe, too.
In the USA, where I lived for 15 years before this - we had the benefit of enduring hourly commutes, twice a day, on elevated platforms above the concrete jungle, and dare you ever left that commute to explore the neighborhoods usually ignored, there is not much public space to be had that wasn't occupied by misery.
Its a stark contrast in care on the part of the governments involved. I'll take Vienna's park-loving social system over that of LA or SF, any day.
Fascinating phenomenon, but this sentence caused me to stop reading and close the tab.
"Slop", I thought.
Now I think about it, I'm not even sure I can put my finger on what about that sentence came across as AI slop.
- a pond (ice-skating in the winter)
- outdoors theatre
- indoor theatre
- Petanque court
- Training bikepark for kids
- Playgrounds
- Tennis, Soccer, baseball
- So much trees and picnic spots, on the ground and tables
- A little non-profit restaurant
And just generally a good vibe. We really have a great park culture in the city, that's not even our best one. Other parks have regular circus and larping gatherings, tamtams and other hippy shit.
> A lake in the middle of a big city that you can simply get into is not a normal thing.
Stockholm is a big city (for European standards) in the middle of a lake. So, this is probably very difficult to emulate for other cities. Sadly around Sweden, trees that have been harvested for wood are replaced with low quality forest that do not meet biodiversity targets.
> I also feel like during the winter, even though the park looks amazing under snow or fog, there are not many things to do.
Parks are amazing and we should have more in our cities. I see people hiking and running in the forest all year round. Forests and nature are better than parks to bring a pace of mind and mindfulness that cannot be replaced by anything else. And they usually are free, so everybody can enjoy them independently of their economic situation. But each steps forward is a welcome step. And parks are also needed.
Hamburg is a wonderful city, there's also that :)