urbanSTL

Either way it seems to me that there is plenty of space for all to enjoy the park before we go bulldozing areas that are used by the public. It's one of the largest urban parks in the country for *** sake, in a city that is far from being overcrowded!!!

This may be the most sane thing written yet!

Urban Elitist wrote:

ricke002 wrote:Where does the income (if any) go to from these golf courses (notice the spelling)?



My guess is that at least some of this income would go towards Forest Park directly, or at least the St. Louis Parks Department, which would inturn provide the money to keep Forest Park going.



Just my thought about keeping the golf courses intact.



Also, picture a typical golf course and the back drop it has. Now picture a hole from Forest Park, with the surrounding buildings. Not too many courses around can compare with that type of setting.

Attacking someone's spelling is not a good way to debate your view. It only weakens your stance.

I don't know that I was "attacking" anyone...nor do I think my "point" was that course was misspelled.



Also, I wasn't suggesting that the golf courses be used for a professional tournament as the only way to appreciate the views, they are a neat view for anyone who plays the courses, be it +2 handicap or +58 handicap

Quote:

Either way it seems to me that there is plenty of space for all to enjoy the park before we go bulldozing areas that are used by the public. It's one of the largest urban parks in the country for *** sake, in a city that is far from being overcrowded!!!





This may be the most sane thing written yet!

I AGREE!

I'm all for more towers around FP, but you can't tear down those mansions on Lindell, too late. Wouldn't mind if it happened 80 + years ago though..

-I have never thought that FP was too crowded or necessary to git rid of the golf courses for more "mixed use green space". There are PLENTY of places to explore in the park for this requirement. Hasn't everyone seen that picture of Central Park with the thousands of people on that "lawn"? It looks like Atlantic City's beach. I have NEVER seen that in FP, nor would I want to.

-as for "course" vs. "coarse" I know, I would appreciate the correction.

-what an interesting thread... FP = best park in the country

So what other amenities would everyone like to see in FP?



We have: golf, art museum, zoo, science center, history museum, tennis courts, handball courts, raquetball courts, ice rink, reception halls, several restaurants, fishing, playgrounds, coffee shop, sports fields, boating . . .



I'll go with a velodrome - which there used to be in the park before I-64 was built.

A great common area at one of the entrances or between the Zoo and Art Museum where people can stroll, sit on benches and read, watch performers like musicians, and take in an atmosphere of leisure in an urban park without feeling they are in unobstructed nature or a massive lawn. From the Living World entrance to a future Art Museum south entrance.



Other areas could be landscaped with native plants and grasses probably making more forests and prairie. We have to much grass to be mowed. Let's put in forests with dirt paths.



Kennedy Woods is a good start for more forests.

Funny that no one has mentioned pedestrian access to the park. It's abysmal.

1) There is no way to cross Lindell at Skinker without taking your life into your hands.

2) There is no decent, pleasant way to get to the park from the highrises on Union Ave and the dense neighborhood on Pershing just west of Union.

3) The walk from the Forest Park Metrolink at Debaliviere is boring, depressing and hot as hell in summer.

4) The new crossing at Forest Park Parkway and Des Peres is already notorious for the poor engineering



Why is this tolerated? There are thousands of people living near Forest Park who are actively discouraged from walking into the park.



It's one of the many reasons (apart from the great swathes of concrete that greet you across much of the park itself) that Forest Park fails to live up to its potential.

between the Zoo and Art Museum where people can stroll, sit on benches and read, watch performers like musicians, and take in an atmosphere of leisure in an urban park

I'll go for this! That hill leading to the back of the art museum isn't much more than a dirt patch with a single pavilion for the occassional BBQ. I wonder if this won't be part of the Art Museum expansion. It probably wouldn't work to do something before - with all the construction equipment etc.



And, yes, pedestrian access is terrible, from the ped bridge from FPSE, to Lindell/Kingshighway, to Union, to Skinker . . . serious traffic calming, ped oriented measures are needed.

Ihnen wrote:That hill leading to the back of the art museum isn't much more than a dirt patch with a single pavilion for the occassional BBQ. I wonder if this won't be part of the Art Museum expansion.

It will not. The expansion will be directly behind the museum, basically where the parking lot is now.

^ What I really meant, was whether the rehabilitation of the hill, landscaping, steps, etc. may be addressed after the museum expansion. I hope they do something with this area to make it more attractive as it's a heavily travelled/viewed area.

Ihnen wrote:^ What I really meant, was whether the rehabilitation of the hill, landscaping, steps, etc. may be addressed after the museum expansion. I hope they do something with this area to make it more attractive as it's a heavily travelled/viewed area.

It may be addressed, but it won't be the museum addressing it.

Ihnen wrote:

Either way it seems to me that there is plenty of space for all to enjoy the park before we go bulldozing areas that are used by the public. It's one of the largest urban parks in the country for *** sake, in a city that is far from being overcrowded!!!

This may be the most sane thing written yet!

I agree!

That's right, Forest Park Forever could address it!



Think of it. The Zoo is the number one attraction in Forest Park and creates heavy traffic. The Art Museum, the Promenade, and Shakespeare Festival on Art Hill create their fair share too. With the best points of interest in the close proximity, there should be a better connection than having to walk on the grass/dirt or go all the way along the sidewalk and up the hill with the road. The possible area across the Living World entrance could begin with an ornamental animal fountain and the walkway between it and the Art Museum could divided with a formal median with sculpture in the center. Benches and trees would be on the perimeter.



Walkway and sitting/reading/people watching area





Sculptures for walkway median





Fountain entrance





Pedestrian pathways

^SMSPlanstu

That would be a good way to pull people from heavily traveled attractions to other parts of the park, which could be a great idea. Might as well start by linking two locations together.

Not to mention that there's no sidewalk along the road to the Steinberg parking lot. From FPP and Euclid to the ice rink you would have to either walk north to West Pine, down a dark past to a rusty, hidden bridge over metro and then back south or walk south past the hospital complex and then into the park on a road without a sidewalk and through the parking lot.