Everything Glendale

Filed Under: Art, Brand Park, City Services, Parks and Recreation

I grew up in Chicago, among the grandeur of Daniel Burnham's lakefront parks, the ones that call back to Paris, the ones that make you want to hold hands, find hidden woodlands, loiter for hours under dappled sunlight. Southern California has beautiful public lands, but they are different: block-long parks flanked by urban sprawl, Griffith Park with its rustic Western charm, and the odd reservoirs of Silver Lake and Rowena that are carefully landscaped but fenced in to prevent actual human activity. In Glendale, however, we have our own miniature Jardin des Tulieres, a lovely urban retreat that displays the turn-of-the-century interest in combining natural California landscaping, Moorish architecture, and neoclassical symmetry: Brand Park.

Walk through the front gate of the park, up the hill under stately palms to "El Miradero," the private residence of Leslie Coombs Brand, an early Glendale business developer. The library itself is interesting, if not entirely accessible since it contains more specialized collections of history, art, and music. The library also hosts gallery exhibits, performances, and classes that I'm told that are worth taking, especially those for children.

Further up the hill, the "Shoseian" Whispering Pine Teahouse & Friendship Garden is always serene. Although its hours are inconvenient, since it is only open from 10:00AM to 4:00PM from Mondays to Thursdays, it does make it a great place to play hookey from work.

Just past the Japanese Garden, the Doctor's House is a Victorian style home that was relocated from Wilson Avenue to its present location in 1979. Every Sunday from 2:00PM to 4:00PM, they offer a tour of the House for one dollar. It's been years since I went, but I do remember enjoying myself, learning about life in California during the Victorian era and seeing framed, embroidered human hair art. (Ew.)

Besides these lovely architectural finds, Brand Park contains other special details that make me love it even more. The lady of the Green Cross, a hidden sculpture that was "created in 1928 as a tribute to an early 20th century tree society and a symbol of… deforestation," welcomes hikers with open arms to a satisfyingly steep climb up the rocky hill toward breathtaking views of the city. (Keep walking up, and you'll be able to save your knees by taking the leisurely path down the fire road).

I also love the happy shouts of Little League games, the vibrant wedding parties congregating on the library steps for portraits, the shaded playground that plays host to playdates and birthday parties, families picnicking, and the summer wading pool.

An afternoon in Brand Park takes me back to Chicago; I'm standing in the great hall of the Art Institute, gazing at George Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." It is a convivial oasis, one that embodies urban living and idyllic pleasures. Brand Park is alive, and that is the key.

Brand Park
1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/parks/brand_park.asp

Hours:
7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.