Home » Travel » Los Angeles Culture » Tranquil Ground in Greater Los Angeles

Tranquil Ground in Greater Los Angeles

© Lynette

Los Angeles is better known for its miles of streets and freeways, housing developments, mini-malls and office towers than for its parks and gardens.

But the city is filled with urban parks as well as planned gardens, plazas and other open spaces - places where people can walk, relax and enjoy the outdoors. Just stepping beyond the front door and noticing the exotic palm trees like the Mexican fan palm and its sister types is a look into how plants foreign to the area can flourish and beautify Los Angeles’ metropolitan and urban landscape.

The region’s three most well known botanical garden parks, public and private, are Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, the Arboretum in Arcadia and Huntington Gardens in San Marino.

Scenic paths and walkways surrounded by plants and flower collections adorn the parkland. Within the well-known botanical gardens are walking tours and picnic areas for families. All are welcome to explore the natural beauty of the area in tranquility. Use the environment(s) as a break away from the hustle of fast paced living or the bustle of city touring while you visit on vacation.

Within these vast areas are several gardens reflecting the most culturally diverse regions and brings together concepts from almost every part of the world, blending it into works of art in a most scenic and natural manner to mankind.

Beyond these planned botanical parks is also a public range of work being done by landscape architects in Los Angeles. There are many different kinds of open spaces in the city, encompassing natural and built environments.

Some of the more popular places, including the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Universal CityWalk, 2 Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Century City Shopping Mall, and Olvera Street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles.

But there are also many lesser-known examples of urban open spaces designed by landscape architects. In Pomona, the Center for Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University operates a "living laboratory" and residential community for students, faculty and staff. It is dedicated to the education, research and demonstration of sustainable systems and technologies, such as solar technology, waste management, water recycling and other systems.

On Mt. Washington in the Griffith Park area, the Self-Realization Fellowship International group offers a 13-acre garden for strolling and enclosed spaces for meditation. They also have an outdoor meditation room.

These are places people can go and be outdoors without travelling hundreds of miles.

The copyright of the article Tranquil Ground in Greater Los Angeles in Los Angeles Culture is owned by Lynette . Permission to republish Tranquil Ground in Greater Los Angeles in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.