City Park, Denver
Encyclopedia
City Park is an urban park
and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado
. The park is 330 acres (1.3 km²) http://www.frommers.com/destinations/denver/A22165.html and is located in east-central Denver. The park contains the Denver Zoo
, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
, Ferril and Duck Lakes, and a boathouse
. City Park is also the name of the neighborhood that contains the park, though the park is the vast majority of the neighborhood. To the immediate north of the park is the City Park Golf Course. City Park is the largest and most notable park in Denver.
The City Park neighborhood has the same boundaries except for having Colfax Avenue
as its southern boundary, which is two blocks south of 17th Avenue. Therefore, the entirety of the neighborhood is only two blocks wide, but about a mile long. The area in the southwest corner of the neighborhood consists of East High School and a green area called the City Park Esplanade, which in some ways extends the park south two blocks to Colfax Avenue. The eastern part of the neighborhood around Colfax Avenue (along with parts of the Congress Park neighborhood
across Colfax) is also known as the "Bluebird District," for the Bluebird Theatre located on Colfax and the urban developments around that area. In addition, there is also a neighborhood called "City Park West
," which is located just west of the park to Downing Street and commonly known as Uptown. It has the same southern and northern borders as City Park, and has York Street as its eastern border.
When Denver was founded in 1858, it was little more than a mining camp. By the 1870s however, Denver had gained a substantial permanent population, and many residents were clamoring for parks. In 1878, the Colorado state legislature passed a bill to allow Denver to acquire 1280 acres (5.2 km²) of state land to build parks. City Park became the largest tract turned into a park. The initial park layout was designed by Henry Meryweather in 1882 in the tradition of both English pastoral gardens and Central Park
in New York City
with a flowing, casual design. The 1893 World's Fair
started the City Beautiful movement
, which further developed the design. The park was irrigated with water from the city ditch.
By the turn of the century, Ferril Lake, the Denver Zoo
, and the landmark boat pavilion, with a Spanish-style design by architects John Humphreys and William Fisher
were all developed in the park. Reinhard Schuetze, a German immigrant who was the head landscaper for Denver, formalized the design of the park through the planting of formal gardens, the East High School Esplanade onto the park, and graceful carriage-ways. In 1908, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
was built on the eastern edge of the park on the highest elevation in the park (now famous for its views of downtown and the mountains behind them).
On April 23, 1916, The Shakespeare Elm was planted near the intersection of 17th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. A plaque at its base reads "Shakespeare Elm: The scion from which this tree was grown was taken from the tree at Shakespeare's grave at Stratford-on-Avon".
City Park sat a mile away from the rest of Denver when it was first opened. Competing trolley
companies took park-goers along the undeveloped roads into the park. The neighborhood developed around the park, starting with farmers and squatters who used the city ditch to irrigate their crops. It wasn't until the turn of the century with better trolley connections that housing development occurred in force. The neighborhood includes East High School
, a landmark built in 1925, which is Denver's first high school (moved from downtown). . The neighborhood also contains many historic brick residential buildings, including many Denver square style homes and several historic brick commercial structures, especially along Colfax Avenue.
bookstore and Twist & Shout record store, just across from the neighborhood. The neighborhood has also seen new residential and commercial developments, including at the former site of Mercy Hospital.
City Park itself is still the premier park in the city. Thousands of visitors continue to see not only the park itself but the cultural institutions contained within. The park holds a free summer concert series and a stunning Electric Prismatic Fountain which dates back to 1908. Originally designed by engineer Frederic W. Darlington and was a revolutionary feature for the time. The recently renovated fountain now boasts LED lights which cycle through different formations, with each cycle spanning an hour. The park has boat rentals, both standard paddle-boats and some shaped like various water creatures like pelican
s and duck
s. People can also rent the boathouse for events.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The park is 330 acres (1.3 km²) http://www.frommers.com/destinations/denver/A22165.html and is located in east-central Denver. The park contains the Denver Zoo
Denver Zoo
The Denver Zoo is an facility located in City Park of Denver, Colorado, USA. Founded in 1896, it is owned by the City and County of Denver and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District . It was the most popular paid attraction in the Denver metropolitan area in 2005.The...
, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of...
, Ferril and Duck Lakes, and a boathouse
Boathouse
A boathouse is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats stored are rowing boats...
. City Park is also the name of the neighborhood that contains the park, though the park is the vast majority of the neighborhood. To the immediate north of the park is the City Park Golf Course. City Park is the largest and most notable park in Denver.
Geography
The park is located in east-central Denver slightly more than a mile east of Downtown. The park is a mile long and three-quarters of a mile wide. The park's boundaries are:- West-York Street
- South-17th Avenue
- East-Colorado Boulevard
- North-23rd Avenue.
The City Park neighborhood has the same boundaries except for having Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local street system, it lies 15 blocks north of the zero...
as its southern boundary, which is two blocks south of 17th Avenue. Therefore, the entirety of the neighborhood is only two blocks wide, but about a mile long. The area in the southwest corner of the neighborhood consists of East High School and a green area called the City Park Esplanade, which in some ways extends the park south two blocks to Colfax Avenue. The eastern part of the neighborhood around Colfax Avenue (along with parts of the Congress Park neighborhood
Congress Park, Denver
Congress Park is a park and a neighborhood in the City and County of Denver, Colorado. In 2007, the neighborhood had 11,247 residents and 6,388 housing units.-Boundaries:...
across Colfax) is also known as the "Bluebird District," for the Bluebird Theatre located on Colfax and the urban developments around that area. In addition, there is also a neighborhood called "City Park West
City Park West, Denver
City Park West is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. It is in the area known as East Denver, or the "East Side". According to the Piton Foundation, in 2007, the population of the neighborhood was 4,120 and there were 2,734 housing units...
," which is located just west of the park to Downing Street and commonly known as Uptown. It has the same southern and northern borders as City Park, and has York Street as its eastern border.
History
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a flowing, casual design. The 1893 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
started the City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
, which further developed the design. The park was irrigated with water from the city ditch.
By the turn of the century, Ferril Lake, the Denver Zoo
Denver Zoo
The Denver Zoo is an facility located in City Park of Denver, Colorado, USA. Founded in 1896, it is owned by the City and County of Denver and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District . It was the most popular paid attraction in the Denver metropolitan area in 2005.The...
, and the landmark boat pavilion, with a Spanish-style design by architects John Humphreys and William Fisher
William Ellsworth Fisher
William Ellsworth Fisher was an architect who founded the Denver, Colorado firm that became Fisher & Fisher.Fisher's father, Allen S. Fisher, moved to Denver from Clinton, Ontario, Canada, with his family in 1885. William became a draftsman for Balcomb & Rice in Denver in 1890 and then studied...
were all developed in the park. Reinhard Schuetze, a German immigrant who was the head landscaper for Denver, formalized the design of the park through the planting of formal gardens, the East High School Esplanade onto the park, and graceful carriage-ways. In 1908, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of...
was built on the eastern edge of the park on the highest elevation in the park (now famous for its views of downtown and the mountains behind them).
On April 23, 1916, The Shakespeare Elm was planted near the intersection of 17th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. A plaque at its base reads "Shakespeare Elm: The scion from which this tree was grown was taken from the tree at Shakespeare's grave at Stratford-on-Avon".
City Park sat a mile away from the rest of Denver when it was first opened. Competing trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
companies took park-goers along the undeveloped roads into the park. The neighborhood developed around the park, starting with farmers and squatters who used the city ditch to irrigate their crops. It wasn't until the turn of the century with better trolley connections that housing development occurred in force. The neighborhood includes East High School
East High School (Denver, Colorado)
East High School is a public high school located in the City Park neighborhood on the east side of Denver, Colorado. It is part of the Denver Public Schools System.-History:...
, a landmark built in 1925, which is Denver's first high school (moved from downtown). . The neighborhood also contains many historic brick residential buildings, including many Denver square style homes and several historic brick commercial structures, especially along Colfax Avenue.
Today
Colfax in the City Park neighborhood in particular, has become a popular area with many hip restaurants, stores, and other businesses, including the newest location of the Tattered CoverTattered Cover
The Tattered Cover is a bookstore in Denver, Colorado, and one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States.- History :It opened in 1971 in the Cherry Creek district of Denver, as a small . bookshop. It was purchased in 1974 by Joyce Meskis...
bookstore and Twist & Shout record store, just across from the neighborhood. The neighborhood has also seen new residential and commercial developments, including at the former site of Mercy Hospital.
City Park itself is still the premier park in the city. Thousands of visitors continue to see not only the park itself but the cultural institutions contained within. The park holds a free summer concert series and a stunning Electric Prismatic Fountain which dates back to 1908. Originally designed by engineer Frederic W. Darlington and was a revolutionary feature for the time. The recently renovated fountain now boasts LED lights which cycle through different formations, with each cycle spanning an hour. The park has boat rentals, both standard paddle-boats and some shaped like various water creatures like pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s and duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s. People can also rent the boathouse for events.