Walking in America, Vol. 3
A trip through Balboa Car Park
'Walking in America’ is a series that documents what it’s like to walk in America. You can view previous volumes here.
Sunshine and the Presidents’ Day holiday inspired me to take a walk from my apartment in downtown San Diego to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. That’s roughly the same distance from New York’s Penn Station to Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, a jaunt through the heart of Manhattan. My trip in San Diego was so amazing I felt compelled to show off my city.
As the crow flies, Balboa Park sits straight through this new development and the apartment buildings in the background. Since humans also fly, the job site closed the sidewalk on the side of the block nearest to my apartment.
At least on the other side of the block they provided this safe, welcoming walkway. The cars speeding along the five-lane, one-way B Street would be no match for the 2x4s protecting me.
America in a picture. Fitting on Presidents’ Day.
A little-publicized fact about Balboa Park is that it is carved up by the 5 and 163 freeways and, to lesser extent, Park Boulevard and Florida and Pershing Drives. City and state transportation authorities made up for it by painting pedestrian crossings and bike lanes. Just don’t mind the railing displaced and bent by a car. They’ll get around to fixing it.
This soccer field is notable for its unique and charming setting—it sits in the middle of a looping freeway on-ramp.
Come for the goals. Stay for the Interstate Highway System.
Welcome to Balboa Park! You wouldn’t know it by the looks of it, but trust the San Diego Tourism Authority. This is, in fact, the southern entrance to the “cultural oasis that includes 18 museums, numerous beautiful gardens and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.”
Since you’d probably drive here, I’d like to show you some of the places you can park.
If you do walk, then don’t worry. The park has you covered with great pedestrian infrastructure:
And thank God the only train in the park is a toy. I couldn’t imagine the congestion that mass transit would bring.
Made it!
The West: it's for cars.
Your travels on foot have led me to the conclusion that the influence of Robert Moses of New York City helped pave every major American city as a car-centric moonscape. Pedestrians of the world unite!