Vancouver has plenty of big, eye-popping, mind-blowing parks, from the primordial forests of 1,000-acre Stanley Park to the manicured flower beds of VanDusen Garden.
But it’s the little parks – the unexpected green spaces in the midst of all the urban sprawl – that really set the city apart for me. I’m talking about all those tiny, one block parks and gardens cherished by neighbourhood residents but pretty much unknown to everyone else.
In Yaletown, that secret green oasis is .39-hectare Emery Barnes Park. Dwarfed by 20-, 30- and soon-to-be 40-storey condo towers, Emery Barnes officially opened last week: an unlikely island of green in a concrete jungle.
It’s a gorgeous – if modest – park: one whole block of grassy lawn and bubbling fountains, leafy trees and benches for soaking up the odd rays of afternoon sun that slant through Yaletown’s crowded skyline.
Photo credit: VPL Street Walkers | Flickr
Mind-blowing? Nope. Worth a visit? Absolutely. If you’re on a lunch break or taking a stroll downtown, Emery Barnes is a welcomed green respite in the midst of the busy city. And its history offers some fascinating insight into the evolution of one of Vancouver’s most popular neighbourhoods.
Phase one of the park was actually completed way back in 2003, back when only the most intrepid of buyers were snatching up Yaletown condos (If only I had known!). The park, situated on the corner of Davie and Richards Streets, originally consisted of little more than a narrow stream, bubbling up into fountains along a tree-lined pathway. It was named after former CFL great and one of B.C.’s first black legislators, Emery Barnes.
As Yaletown evolved from a gritty industrial backwater to some of Vancouver’s hottest real estate, Emery Barnes Park expanded. By the summer of 2010, a children’s playground, big grassy lawn and off-leash dog park had been added – features eagerly used by young couples streaming into the area.
Last year, officials tore down an aging industrial building on the edge of the park, demolishing among the last vestiges of the old Yaletown. In that space, they added shrubs and grass, benches and a curving walkway – the final piece of the Emery Barnes puzzle.
Any fans of Emery Barnes Park out there? What makes it special?
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4:11 am
I haven’t seen this park for a few years, since when it was mostly for dogs. (I’m a former Vancouver resident “expatriated” to the eastern US and Canada since ’04.) I was visiting last week and wiled away the afternoon there with friends and their preschooler.
I love the latest changes (the addition of the playground), and the little river. It’s a most welcome green space in Yaletown. Toronto has very few playgrounds in the downtown core, and nothing like this. (Take note, Toronto!)
6:27 am
The park is nice and lively for people, but the off-leash dog area is insulting. Simply gravel and concrete.
We stopped here while going through Vancouver to let Sadie get a little run before continuing on our travels and were very dissappointed at what an afterthought the dog area was.
And the dogs that were in the area looked bored as their humans sat texting on their handhelds, paying their dogs no attention. Dogs don’t exercise themselves, they need interaction.
But the human area of the park is grassy and pleasant. We ended up just letting Sadie run loose and chase her frisbee outside the dog area. None of the people seemed to mind and, in fact, several were entertained (especially he children) by her ability to chase down, jump and snatch her frisbee in mid-air.