Centennial Olympic Park: An Oasis

Centennial Olympic Park greeting sign ( The first thing I saw on my visit)

Through the dirty streets, the rushing cars, the sleeping homeless, the convenient shops, I walked to Centennial Olympic Park. I had only ever been a few times as a child but rarely ever left the suburbia of Gwinnett County, so my expectations were non existent. Turning from Peachtree street onto Andrew Young International Boulevard, I could see green in the distance, as if I were lost in a desert of gray concrete and spotted an oasis of grass among it all. The vibe of the path to the park changed. The shops were nicer, people dressed more professionally, hotels exposed large ballrooms and tall ceilings. It gave a high class feeling, which contrasted with much of Downtown Atlanta.

Reaching the park, the entrance greeted me with a sign stating Centennial Olympic Park, welcoming me in with its clear carved letters. The park was filled with trees and their uplifting branches.

The heart of the park. Notice how the benches are directed toward fountain

Each one strategically placed to provide shade to the benches in the hot September sun. The park was beautiful and very well kept, which was refreshing from the hustle and bustle of the city. Children of many backgrounds were playing in the fountain splashing and laughing, making a scene such as a movie would produce. I watched the parents, some with local insignia scrawled across their chest and some with foreign marks. Many were tourists, as when I passed them I could hear the various languages and accents being mingled across the groups.  This was a place of community, unity, diversity, and safety.

Police patrolled the area making it seem even more like an oasis. In my visit I felt that the park was a sort of space in which people could produce ideas and paint pictures. The area seemed like the hub for much art. There were men and women doing yoga in the grass and practicing meditation.

Names scatter the bricks on the ground that fill the park. Look at the many contributions.

It gave an impression of peace. In the space I could also recognize the history that the area had produced with the many names placed uniquely on the stepping stones and the black marble facing the fountains.I felt pride in living in Atlanta as our state kept up the maintenance and construction of the park even after twenty years.

The park represented Atlanta changing and America very well. It had a sense of sustainability, which I respect. There were recycling bins located next to every trash can and bench, each sporting the sponsored logo of the Coca-cola Company, also an Atlanta corporation. Solar panels clung themselves to each and every light post, showing that Atlanta is on its way to “green” living and was doing so rather quickly, as they had been there since the Olympics.It showed to me, an aspiring national park ranger, that the city was more than just high rises, buses, and construction, but was making steps toward being more environmentally

Trash cans that are near every bench in the park. This indicated the “green” aspect of the park.

conscious.Flora spread rampant through the park with flowers, trees, grass, bushes, giving the park a feeling of nature even in the middle of a notorious city.It felt good seeing all of these efforts put toward making the park more sustainable.

Flags of all nationalities had flown above, almost like a gate of culture surrounding the fountain. Of these flags, America was represented with four total flags, each no higher or lower than any of the others. It had surprised me because it contrasts to the usual expansive American flags that fly over dealerships or shopping malls. The flag, although repeated four times, maintained a level head and gave me the impression that America was not trying to be better than the rest but was acting as an example of what could be as we all play on the same field.

Having packed up my supplies of notepads and pencils, I really didn’t want to leave the park and make my way to my religious studies class but that I wanted to relax in the shade and to just watch the surrounding community living in unity. There were no disturbances, obnoxious noises, sour smells, or even trash. There really was nothing to fault the park with, which draws me to go back and eat lunch or study. This will definitely be my new favorite green space in Atlanta.