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the bicycle girl: lights, bells and whistles
This illustration shows the bicycle path from Prospect Park, Brooklyn, to Coney Island in 1896. Bicycling had become such a popular sport nationwide by the end of the century that cities were hard pressed to control the traffic. Many municipalities … Continue reading
Posted in arts, recreation
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a spicy spin through the park?
In My Park Book, published in 1898, Annie Nathan Meyer gleefully recorded the joys of spinning through Central Park, New York on her bicycle in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Among the pioneers of women’s cycling, she learned to ride in … Continue reading
Posted in history, people, recreation
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environmental history of golden gate park?
What is “environmental history?” The working definition is: “a branch of scholarship that focuses on studying the interaction between human culture and the environment over time.” By that measure, an environmental history of Golden Gate Park would logically start … Continue reading
Posted in history
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a grizzly story: bear pit long gone!
This bear pit was formerly located at the west end of what is now the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. It’s one of the more colorful “lost” sites in the park; one that lives on in civic … Continue reading
Posted in "lost" golden gate park, history, wildlife
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herons return to stow lake
The herons are returning to nest in the stand of trees on the little island in Stow Lake, in front of the boat house. Last weekend I saw five of them, seemingly inspecting their nests and assessing necessary repairs. With … Continue reading
hippie hordes turned on, tuned in, dropped out . . . jan. 14, 1967
I found this delightful article on line, commemorating the gathering that ushered in the Summer of Love in Golden Gate Park. A beautiful tribute to the park in the 60s, an era that many of us can vividly recall! This … Continue reading
Posted in events in Golden Gate Park, history
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a walk in the park with charlie
Charlie Eckberg, a volunteer City Guide, leads a free walking tour in Golden Gate Park on Friday mornings, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the entrance to the Japanese Tea Garden. A gifted story-teller, Charlie leads a tour that is like a … Continue reading
Posted in people
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from greenhouse to garden in golden gate park nursery
Carolyn Adams loves her job! She works at the plant nursery in Golden Gate Park, overseeing the propagation and nurture of more than 800 species of plants that are used to fill in the blanks in parks throughout the … Continue reading
Posted in people, plants
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common sense standards for a historic park?
Regardless of whether or not Golden Gate Park is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, guidelines developed by the National Park Service for historic properties that are listed on the National Register could be useful in debates … Continue reading
Posted in history
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registering a historic landmark in california
What would it take to “officially” designate Golden Gate Park a historic landmark? The process begins at the state level; historic landmarks must be registered by a state first and then they may be considered for national historic landmark designation … Continue reading
Posted in history
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golden gate park: views from the thicket 