That 80’s song Nobody Walks in LA always seems to always flair up whenever I happen to walk in LA- and I don’t mean my long hikes along the mountain trails- as I love to explore by foot, although everyone knows this city is not the easiest to navigate that way. However, the other day I stumbled upon the much anticipated and talked about Tongva Park in Santa Monica, which officially opened October 19th. Named after the indigenous Tongva people who resided in the local area for thousands of years, this stunning park and new heart for Santa Monica serves as a connector between Civic Center and the Pier. The British born landscape artist James Corner and his New York firm Field Operations- best known for The High Line- sculpted a $42 million dollar dramatic topography of hills and hollows overlooking the ocean.
The 6.2 acre space was previously an unused dirt lot adjacent to City Hall where Corner’s vision for the park was inspired by Southern California’s native arroyo landscape of washes and ravines. Over 300 trees and thousands of plants- a mixture of native and drought tolerant- were added to flush out the landscape. Featuring a series of winding paths, a playground, event lawn, water fountains and viewing platforms, the four main areas include Garden Hill, Discovery Hill, Observation Hill- where decks are 18 feet off the ground- and Gathering Hill. The park has a real urban and fresh feel with its seven pedestrian entrances- see, people really do walk in LA- and all materials that were used are sustainable, including LED lighting as well as the warm wood touches on the benches. Although LA has nature in abundance, I’ve always gravitated towards city parks where locals and tourists alike can take advantage of ideal use of space with social, ecological and symbolic value. My walk home was another story…
good story 🙂