Learning From Georgia IV: Savannah's Forsyth Park

[Metro Jacksonville]

Learning From Georgia IV: Savannah's Forsyth Park



Have you ever wondered what the parks that border Downtown and Springfield could look like with a little extra love, care, and attention?  Savannah's Forsyth Park offers an interesting glimpse at what could be.

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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/469

[Dapperdan]

Looks like a much bigger form of our Riverside Park. I think Forrest Gump's bench was in Forsyth Park.

[Jason]

Yeah, his bench is there.  There is a placard talking about the movie at the exact bench he sat on.

That has to be one of the most beautiful urban parks in the country.  Every time I've been there its been full of activity.

[archiphreak]

Um, sorry Jason, But Forrest's bench is not in Forsyth Park any longer.  It hasn't been there since a few months after the movie came out.  It is in fact sitting in a museum about ten blocks from Forsyth Park (a bench in a museum...what the hell?).  The placard simply marks the spot that the "original" bench was located.  The original bench had to be removed, because of vandals and thieves.  You would be surprised at the price something so innocuous can fetch on Ebay.

An aside, where are the photos of SCAD's Sidewalk Arts Festival?!  It's the biggest draw for Forsyth Park every year.  That and Music in the Park which has showcased such talents as George Clinton and the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones.

Jacksonville could learn a HUGE lesson from Savannah's parks and squares.  Look at Klutho Park.  It's gorgeous and it's HUGE!  Imagine what a nice big public venue would look like in that space?  Ah, well, I'm sure the city has other plans for spaces like that.  Such as more surface parking and 2 story condo structures that will stay vacant for 10 years because they sell at $400k for a one bedroom closet with no windows.  Not that I'm bitter or anything.  :-|

[thelakelander]

An aside, where are the photos of SCAD's Sidewalk Arts Festival?!  It's the biggest draw for Forsyth Park every year.  That and Music in the Park which has showcased such talents as George Clinton and the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones.

Those events weren't going on the day I snapped these photos back earlier this Summer.  Nevertheless, I can imagine how packed such events would be.  As for Klutho and the neighborhing parks, they have soooo much potential and a centralized location between two revitalizing urban neighborhoods.  Here's a few shots we've taken over the past year of Jacksonville's most unique urban park.





















imagine what the $700k spent on that Main Street pocket park could have done for this area?

[Johnny]

Amen Lake... I drive by that pocket park everyday on the way to work and am disgusted by how nice that worthless 4000 sq ft or so of land looks compared to the huge awesome parks we have in Springfield and the city just ignores them. What a joke!