Blair Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blair Park |
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| Type | Open space reserve |
| Location | Piedmont, California |
| Area | 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) |
Blair Park is a small, natural park located in the city of Piedmont, California. It sits in the beautiful Oakland Hills area, close to the start of Moraga Canyon.
This park is special because it's the only natural open space left in Piedmont. It's much smaller now than it used to be. Long ago, it was a huge 75-acre amusement park! Today, it's a peaceful 5.5-acre spot where nature thrives.
Where is Blair Park?
Blair Park is found near the top of Moraga Canyon. This canyon stretches from Highway 13 all the way to Pleasant Valley Avenue in Oakland, California.
The northern edge of Blair Park runs along Moraga Avenue. This is a main road that follows the lower part of the canyon. To the south, the park is bordered by a steep canyon wall. This wall rises up to residential areas in Piedmont, like Scenic Avenue and Alto Avenue.
There's a flat area between Moraga Avenue and the southern canyon wall. This area was created using landfill. It covers a small stream often called Cemetery Creek, which flows into Echo Glenn Creek. The park's eastern and western sides don't have clear natural boundaries.
A Look Back: Blair Park's History
Blair Park has a fascinating past! It started as a giant 75-acre amusement park called Blair's Park. Construction on this exciting park began way back in 1884. A few years later, in 1888, its name changed to Oakland Park. However, many people still called it Blair Park.
The amusement park was a lively place. It featured beautiful waterfalls and lakes, all fed by Cemetery Creek. Visitors could ride horse-drawn streetcars (and later, cable-drawn ones) up to the park. Once there, they enjoyed walking, having picnics, and even sailing boats. People also rode horses, listened to concerts, and watched acrobats perform. Sometimes, daring aeronauts would even put on shows from balloons!
Protecting the Park
More recently, around 2009, Blair Park became the center of a big discussion. There was a plan to turn most of the park's natural open space into a large sports complex. Many people in the community felt strongly about keeping the park natural.
After much debate, the Piedmont City Council decided against the sports complex. Instead, they chose a plan to make the park even more natural. This new plan included improving the drainage system and removing plants that weren't native to the area. This way, Blair Park continues to be a wonderful natural space for everyone to enjoy.
