Griffith Park on the East Bank of the Los Angeles River
Picture a bucolic stream, a tree-shaded picnic area, a path for walkers and equestrians, a playground for little ones and new athletic fields where children and youth can enjoy organized sports. Now picture it all in an easily accessible 28-acre area of Griffith Park near working class families with a stunning view of its hills and the Los Angeles River.
Is it a pipe dream? No. It’s what happens when the community recognizes that by restoring the site, the public’s enjoyment of Griffith Park can be expanded and multiplied, without the prohibitively expensive purchase of new parkland. This choice riverfront parcel is not only dedicated parkland, but part of Colonel Griffith’s original grant.
Today, this parcel is not used for recreation. The site is now used for a parking lot, maintenance yard, surplus office space, junk yard, and other non-recreational uses. A significant portion of this parkland easily can be reclaimed. This reclaimed river frontage can be converted easily into picnic grounds and a wildlife viewing area that will complement the pedestrian/equestrian corridor currently along its bank. Given that the acreage is flat, surrounded by a neighborhood of working families, close to a regularly scheduled bus line and only a short walk from Chevy Chase Recreation Center, it can be an excellent site for new sports fields for youth. These uses can be accommodated with sensitive planning that takes into account the needs of all users.
The City Project is working on a feasibility study for the restoration of Griffith Park on the East Bank of the Los Angeles River. The site is identified as green space in the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, and it should be green space. We are working to restore the site as a real park that meets the needs of the community as defined by the community.
Learn more about the Urban Parks Movement.
Visit the Heritage Parkscape online and on flickr.
