The Emerald Necklace consists of an 1,100-acre chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Boston Common Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. The Emerald Necklace includes:
The parks are almost contiguous with one another and are irregularly-shaped according to whatever land was available at the time of each park area's foundation. Boston Common is a central Public park in Boston, Massachusetts. The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Boston Common Commonwealth Avenue (colloquially referred to as Comm Ave by locals the latter word pronounced in the same manner as "have" is a major street in the cities of The Back Bay Fens, most commonly called simply The Fens, is a Parkland and Urban wild in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United The Fenway refers to either a thoroughfare or an area within Boston Massachusetts. The Riverway is a Parkway in Boston Massachusetts. "The Riverway" is most correct although locals use "Riverway" and "The Riverway" Olmsted Park is a linear Park in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts, and a part of Boston's Emerald Necklace of connected parks Jamaica Pond is a kettle pond part of the Emerald Necklace of parks in Boston designed by Frederick Law Olmsted The Jamaicaway is a four-lane undivided Parkway in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts near the border of Brookline. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is an Arboretum located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston Massachusetts The Arborway consists of a four-lane divided Parkway and a two lane residential street in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts. Franklin Park, a partially-wooded parkland in the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston Massachusetts, is maintained by the Department From Boston Common to Franklin Park it is approximately seven miles by foot or bicycle through the parks. [1]
Several components of the Emerald Necklace pre-date the plan to unite them. Some links of the Emerald Necklace not only offer an opportunity for recreation in a wooded environment, but are also ecologically-important urban wilds that provide nesting places for migratory birds and improve the air quality of the city. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of An urban wild is a remnant of a natural Ecosystem found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed Urban area. A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location
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History
This linear system of parks and parkways was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to connect the Boston Common (dating from the colonial period) and Public Garden (1837) to the great country estate known as Franklin Park. Frederick Law Olmsted ( April 25, 1822 &ndash August 28, 1903) was an American landscape designer and father of American The term colonial history of the United States refers to the history of the land that would become the United States from the start of European settlement to the time of independence Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common
The project began around 1878 with the effort to clean up and control the marshy area which became the Back Bay and the Fens. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject The Back Bay Fens, most commonly called simply The Fens, is a Parkland and Urban wild in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United In 1880, Olmsted proposed that the Muddy River, which flowed from Jamaica Pond into the Fens, be included in the park plan. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Muddy River is a series of brooks and ponds that runs through sections of Boston 's Emerald Necklace, including along the south border of Brookline Massachusetts The current was dredged into a winding stream and directed into the Charles River. The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and The corridor encompassing the river became a linear park. Olmsted's vision of a linear park of walking paths along a gentle stream connecting numerous small lakes was complete by the turn of the century. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the
Shape
As implied by the name "Emerald Necklace," these parks do not proceed in a straight line but rather form a sort of "L" shape. The Emerald Necklace begins near Boston's Downtown Crossing, proceeds along the Boston/Brookline border, then curves back into Jamaica Plain. Downtown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston Massachusetts, located due east of the Boston Common and west of the Financial District. Jamaica Plain, commonly known as JP, is a historic neighborhood of 4 At the south border of Arnold Arboretum, at the point most distant from its beginning, the Emerald Necklace is in Roslindale. Roslindale is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Mattapan and
Olmstead's original plan called for a "U" shaped necklace which terminated at Boston Harbor. The Port of Boston is a major Seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston. This final link, The Dorchesterway, was never realized. The Dorchesterway was a Parkway planned by 19th century landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted to be a continuation of the Emerald Necklace park network [2]
Jurisdiction
- Arnold Arboretum is leased to and managed by Harvard University.
- The west banks of Olmsted Park and the Riverway are under the jurisdiction of Brookline.
- The rest of the Emerald Necklace is maintained by the City of Boston and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Department of Conservation and Recreation ( DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Recent improvement
Over the past decade, almost $60 million in capital expenditures for parks and waterway improvements have been made in the Emerald Necklace by the City of Boston and the Town of Brookline. These efforts have included improved pathways, plantings and signage, bridge repairs, and the restoration of boardwalks and buildings. For the record label see Boardwalk Records. for the former Las Vegas hotel see Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. In some areas (especially Franklin Park) these efforts have only begun to address the over 50 years of neglect the Emerald Necklace has suffered. [1]
Future plans
The Emerald Necklace Parks Master Plan was completed in 1989, and updated in 2001. [1]
The parks have long been subject to flooding from the Muddy River. The Muddy River Restoration Project[2] will dredge contaminated sediments and implement other major structural improvements, unburying the river and improving its integrity, appearance, and flood control capabilities. [3] [4]
The Conservancy
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy was established in 1996 to support and build upon public sector initiatives. A not-for-profit organization, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a public-private partnership composed of community, business government and institutional representatives, residential neighbors, representatives of Necklace-related associations and interested citizens. [1]
Other areas
There are a few other green areas in the vicinity of the Emerald Necklace that are never considered a part of it but are worth mentioning:
- Charles River Esplanade is not contiguous with the rest of the Necklace but is not far from Commonwealth Ave and is a scenic greenspace. The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and
- Forest Hills Cemetery fills in much of the area of Forest Hills between Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park and is a beautifully-landscaped and waterscaped 275-acre attraction in its own right. Forest Hills Cemetery in the Forest Hills area of Jamaica Plain Massachusetts (a primarily residential section of Boston) is a historic Cemetery This article is about an area of Boston, Massachusetts. There are several other places named Forest Hills in the United States and elsewhere It is adjacent to several other large cemeteries.
- In recent years, the Massachusetts Audubon Society established the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary on the grounds of the former Boston State Hospital in Mattapan. The Massachusetts Audubon Society founded in 1896 and headquartered in Lincoln Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts This is a list of defunct state mental hospitals and schools in Massachusetts: Belchertown State School Boston State Hospital Mattapan is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. American Legion Highway separates the santuary from Forest Hills Cemetery.
- Larz Anderson Park is a wooded, landscaped, and waterscaped 64-acre parkland that extends into Brookline from the vicinity of Jamaica Pond. Larz Anderson Park is a wooded landscaped and waterscaped 64 acre parkland in Brookline Massachusetts that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places It was donated to the public in 1948.
- VFW Parkway and West Roxbury Parkway extend from one corner of the Arboretum towards Dedham and Brookline respectively. The Department of Conservation and Recreation ( DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They are bordered by cemeteries, river banks, and other green spaces.
- Columbus Road in Dorchester, once intended to be the final link in the Emerald Necklace, has recently undergone improvements under the guidance of the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The Dorchesterway was a Parkway planned by 19th century landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted to be a continuation of the Emerald Necklace park network Dorchester is a neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA is the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial developments [2]
Sites along the Necklace
Along or near the Emerald Necklace one can find:
- Hatch Shell
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Emerson College
- Emmanuel College
- Fenway Park
- Franklin Park Zoo
- Landmark Center
- Massachusetts College of Art
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Massachusetts State House
- Northeastern University
- Saint Clement's Eucharistic Shrine
- Simmons College
- Suffolk University
- Symphony Hall
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Wheelock College
References
External links
- The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (map)
- City of Boston Website
- The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
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