Have always loved visiting the park when we go there, it holds some of my favorite memories and yet I had never heard about how it was created! Thanks so much for sharing this fascinating history!
Oh I love Golden Gate Park, and I love San Francisco! Such a beautiful city with so many nice areas. When I was in college, a teacher of mine lived right next to the park and we used to visit often. The zoo is there too- closer to the ocean. And the gorgeous ocean beach! Thanks so much for sharing, Alex. - Linda 😀🥰
Thank you Alex, for this absolutely fantastic and loving salute to the gem of the Bay Area. As a fan of inspired horticulture, Golden Gate Park is an absolute marvel, based on its development and location. As you said; it demonstrates the potential when people work together to accomplish magnificent goals.
I live in a small town, so 30 minutes walk and I'm out in the countryside. I don't like big cities at all, but I have lived in a few: Warsaw, London, Budapest... and I can only imagine what a blessed relief for the people of San Francisco it is to be able to stroll down to such a lovely park in the summer and be away from the noise and the traffic. Urban parks seemed to have vanished in the age of the car and the suburb, which is a real shame. I suppose the logic is you can just drive to nature now; you don't need to bring it to the doorstep. I wholeheartedly disagree.
Frederick Law Olmsted won the competition to design the University of California at Berkeley, but his designs did not take into account the actual layout of the land and he didn't stick around to see it implemented. They hired the second place winner, John Galen Howard to actually build and design the landscape and many of the buildings still there today.
Thank you for this video Alex. I'm third generation San Franciscan and my knowledge of the park is colored by my family's preferred myths ( like McLaren being the REAL hero because he got manure collected from all up and down the peninsula). Very happy to know the real hero, and why. Regardless what's happened to The City the park is still one of the greatest city parks in the world (and certainly far greater than anything Olmsted built. Forgive me for that: still got the old San Francisco chauvinism).
Grew up there 1954-1975 and for a short time we lived a block south of the park. Loved the Japanese Tea Garden the most, many school field trips to the planetarium and we took our kids to the park when we would visit family. Anyone remember that big indoor pond filled with alligators in the Science building? 🐊🐊
It was neither. The bridge and the park were named after The Golden Gate Straight...which is the name of the watery channel at the entrance to the bay. (The bridge stretches the gap between north and south ends of the Straight).
Seems like an era, where people were truly free to create and design with the upmost quality. An era, where everything had beauty in the detail from a fountain, to a bench to a mailbox. To draw people to gather socially, breathe fresh air, hear the birds, sit outside in sun, fresh air and observe beauty. Made people feel good. Today, too many regulations and red tape.
Ride or Drive one mile to the Notrh, East and West of San Francisco and you're in a hundred thousands acres of beautiful countryside. Golden Gate park was a waste of money and of available housing space. If you wanted to get to the Ocean go to the seaside. If you want to go to the country ride or drive 10 minutes out of Downtown. They didn't need a park.
Golden Gate Park was established in 1870. It was not easy to get around back then, particularly because there were no bridges back then, and not everyone owned or could afford a horse and carriage. And parks are never a waste of money, as a nicely designed park and natural area INCREASES the property value of a surrounding suburb.
Have always loved visiting the park when we go there, it holds some of my favorite memories and yet I had never heard about how it was created! Thanks so much for sharing this fascinating history!
So many beautiful Victorians in san francisco
Beautiful Elizabethans, too!
Oh I love Golden Gate Park, and I love San Francisco! Such a beautiful city with so many nice areas. When I was in college, a teacher of mine lived right next to the park and we used to visit often. The zoo is there too- closer to the ocean. And the gorgeous ocean beach! Thanks so much for sharing, Alex. - Linda 😀🥰
Thank you Alex, for this absolutely fantastic and loving salute to the gem of the Bay Area. As a fan of inspired horticulture, Golden Gate Park is an absolute marvel, based on its development and location. As you said; it demonstrates the potential when people work together to accomplish magnificent goals.
Excellent Alex! Love the new content! I love history, and the wat you narrate it.
Thank you!
Great Job Alex!
Thanks!
Very nice video 💯 💯
Hope to visit one day!
Very interesting. I didn't even know SF had that big park and I'm from CA. Where have I been lol😵💫
Amazing place lots of very hard work.
Wow it's beautiful. I have heard about the park but never knew how large it is, Thanks
Well done!
Good morning Alex, will comment when I get home from work.....
I live in a small town, so 30 minutes walk and I'm out in the countryside. I don't like big cities at all, but I have lived in a few: Warsaw, London, Budapest... and I can only imagine what a blessed relief for the people of San Francisco it is to be able to stroll down to such a lovely park in the summer and be away from the noise and the traffic. Urban parks seemed to have vanished in the age of the car and the suburb, which is a real shame. I suppose the logic is you can just drive to nature now; you don't need to bring it to the doorstep. I wholeheartedly disagree.
Frederick Law Olmsted won the competition to design the University of California at Berkeley, but his designs did not take into account the actual layout of the land and he didn't stick around to see it implemented. They hired the second place winner, John Galen Howard to actually build and design the landscape and many of the buildings still there today.
Thank you for this video Alex. I'm third generation San Franciscan and my knowledge of the park is colored by my family's preferred myths ( like McLaren being the REAL hero because he got manure collected from all up and down the peninsula). Very happy to know the real hero, and why. Regardless what's happened to The City the park is still one of the greatest city parks in the world (and certainly far greater than anything Olmsted built. Forgive me for that: still got the old San Francisco chauvinism).
That was fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
Grew up there 1954-1975 and for a short time we lived a block south of the park. Loved the Japanese Tea Garden the most, many school field trips to the planetarium and we took our kids to the park when we would visit family. Anyone remember that big indoor pond filled with alligators in the Science building? 🐊🐊
Thank you for introducing me this park. It looks wonderful! I’d never heard of it before.
It's a great park, I used to love going there every time I visited the city.
I just love these videos. Thanks Alex
we owe a lot to the Victorians !
Thank you!!!
I would never have guessed Golden Gate Park is larger than Central Park.
Was this park named after the Golden Gate Bridge, or was it the other way around?
It was neither. The bridge and the park were named after The Golden Gate Straight...which is the name of the watery channel at the entrance to the bay. (The bridge stretches the gap between north and south ends of the Straight).
@@AlextheHistorian was the bridge built before or after the park?
@King.of.Battleships the bridge was built after. Golden Gate Park opened in 1870, and was matured by 1890. The bridge opened in 1937
Seems like an era, where people were truly free to create and design with the upmost quality. An era, where everything had beauty in the detail from a fountain, to a bench to a mailbox. To draw people to gather socially, breathe fresh air, hear the birds, sit outside in sun, fresh air and observe beauty. Made people feel good.
Today, too many regulations and red tape.
I wonder if he had to wait for the completion of 10,000 Environmental Impact studies. hehe
Ride or Drive one mile to the Notrh, East and West of San Francisco and you're in a hundred thousands acres of beautiful countryside. Golden Gate park was a waste of money and of available housing space. If you wanted to get to the Ocean go to the seaside. If you want to go to the country ride or drive 10 minutes out of Downtown. They didn't need a park.
Golden Gate Park was established in 1870. It was not easy to get around back then, particularly because there were no bridges back then, and not everyone owned or could afford a horse and carriage.
And parks are never a waste of money, as a nicely designed park and natural area INCREASES the property value of a surrounding suburb.
San Francisco is full of homeless now. Also, very over-priced and dirty.
It's always been that way. Even before the gold rush, the whole town was occupied by prostitutes and deviants.