http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/ne...607435001/

During the year since the grand opening, attendance at the park has "easily doubled" from the 2 million or so figure from previous years, Andrews says, although no precise figures are available. More than 800,000 vehicles have entered through Gate 1 alone, not to mention the entrances off Mullins Station, Walnut Grove, the Shelby Farms Greenline and elswhere.

So popular is the park that on most weekends, staff has had to direct some cars to overflow parking areas on a grassy slope north of the First Tennessee Foundation Visitor Center.

"There rarely are even slow times of the day," Andrews said.

And all this time I thought that area was all under cultivation like a real farm.

(08-31-2017 01:56 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  And all this time I thought that area was all under cultivation like a real farm.

They did used to grow their own food way back in the day.

As does the Botanic Gardens. When we get through saving the historic Kessler-designed Overton Park, we will be right out to raise holy hell about the other parks.

How many days per year do they park on the grass at Overton with the zoo compared to The Botanic? I would.imagine many more times at Overton.

Ahh..yes. parking on the grass at Overton.

good times.

So we don't like parking on grass? Do we prefer they pave the grass first?

It starts fires around here....Don't even mow your grass if you are a moron with a sparking lawn mower.

(08-31-2017 02:13 PM)idroot4russia Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 01:56 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  And all this time I thought that area was all under cultivation like a real farm.

They did used to grow their own food way back in the day.

And put it in a can, back in the Day.

(09-01-2017 01:03 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  So we don't like parking on grass? Do we prefer they pave the grass first?

No, we don't like our Zoo doing a land grab of the Greensward grass in order to expand their exhibits all the way to Poplar, so they can have that "front door" presence. We also don't like them cutting down mature trees next to the Greensward and on their 17-acre Old Forest land. And the reason WHY we try to protect as much grass in our main historic park is because the citizens of Memphis need a large park in the center of their city for recreation, nature, walking, hiking, biking, dog walking, sports, peace, and the great diversity of citizens that use it at all times of the day. The green area is used for large festivals, soccer games, picnics, and other activities that require a lot of room. We also decry the fact that the grass is not ADA compliant and we have seen people in wheelchairs struggle to get out of their cars and over the mud ruts.

And the other reason the Zoo's land grab is so egregious is that Overton Park was designed by the world-renowned landscape architect, George Kessler, who designed parks all over this country in the early 20th Century. It was designed as a working whole with a cohesive design for vistas and views and the flow of people through the park. Most other great cities do not allow their historic parks to be carved up into parking lots on grass. The Memphis Zoo has been a horrible neighbor to the other entities in the park, are NOT the world class zoo they claim to be, treat their employees like dirt and sell their old animals to canned hunting ranches, and serve mostly as an amusement park for visitors from Mississippi and Arkansas. The citizens of Memphis subsidize their operations to the tune of thousands of dollars because they are not self-sustaining.

But the city of Memphis is not THAT big. There's plenty of trees and land in Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman, north Mississippi for all those things. What they don't have though is a world class zoo.

Just kidding with you. For the most part.

(09-01-2017 03:10 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(09-01-2017 01:03 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  So we don't like parking on grass? Do we prefer they pave the grass first?

No, we don't like our Zoo doing a land grab of the Greensward grass in order to expand their exhibits all the way to Poplar, so they can have that "front door" presence. We also don't like them cutting down mature trees next to the Greensward and on their 17-acre Old Forest land. And the reason WHY we try to protect as much grass in our main historic park is because the citizens of Memphis need a large park in the center of their city for recreation, nature, walking, hiking, biking, dog walking, sports, peace, and the great diversity of citizens that use it at all times of the day. The green area is used for large festivals, soccer games, picnics, and other activities that require a lot of room. We also decry the fact that the grass is not ADA compliant and we have seen people in wheelchairs struggle to get out of their cars and over the mud ruts.

And the other reason the Zoo's land grab is so egregious is that Overton Park was designed by the world-renowned landscape architect, George Kessler, who designed parks all over this country in the early 20th Century. It was designed as a working whole with a cohesive design for vistas and views and the flow of people through the park. Most other great cities do not allow their historic parks to be carved up into parking lots on grass. The Memphis Zoo has been a horrible neighbor to the other entities in the park, are NOT the world class zoo they claim to be, treat their employees like dirt and sell their old animals to canned hunting ranches, and serve mostly as an amusement park for visitors from Mississippi and Arkansas. The citizens of Memphis subsidize their operations to the tune of thousands of dollars because they are not self-sustaining.

Maybe we should build a wall and make Mississippi and Arkansas pay for it.

I am all for the zoo taking whatever it needs. You want woods, go somewhere else. The Zoo is a great, great place.

Probably in the minority but I liked Shelby Farms better when you had to park on the grass, when it was more natural. I know most love all the changes but its starting to look like an amusement park to me.

(08-31-2017 02:13 PM)idroot4russia Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 01:56 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  And all this time I thought that area was all under cultivation like a real farm.

They did used to grow their own food way back in the day.

They grew everything including cows. The farm actually turned a profit for many years.

(09-02-2017 09:48 AM)Hernando Hills Tiger Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 02:13 PM)idroot4russia Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 01:56 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  And all this time I thought that area was all under cultivation like a real farm.

They did used to grow their own food way back in the day.

They grew everything including cows. The farm actually turned a profit for many years.

Planted a cow once or twice ...

(09-02-2017 08:47 AM)memtigbb Wrote:  I am all for the zoo taking whatever it needs. You want woods, go somewhere else. The Zoo is a great, great place.

I'm glad we have smarter leaders than you. Thank you Steve Cohen and Mayor Strickland for protecting one of Memphis' true civic treasures from the SUV driving suburbanites who try to put their vehicles in a city park.

(09-02-2017 10:58 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(09-02-2017 08:47 AM)memtigbb Wrote:  I am all for the zoo taking whatever it needs. You want woods, go somewhere else. The Zoo is a great, great place.

I'm glad we have smarter leaders than you. Thank you Steve Cohen and Mayor Strickland for protecting one of Memphis' true civic treasures from the SUV driving suburbanites who try to put their vehicles in a city park.

If Cohen didn't live across the street, I doubt he would have gotten involved. The people that enjoy the park over there aren't exactly the demographic that he normally helps.

(09-02-2017 10:58 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(09-02-2017 08:47 AM)memtigbb Wrote:  I am all for the zoo taking whatever it needs. You want woods, go somewhere else. The Zoo is a great, great place.

I'm glad we have smarter leaders than you. Thank you Steve Cohen and Mayor Strickland for protecting one of Memphis' true civic treasures from the SUV driving suburbanites who try to put their vehicles in a city park.

Agree with you. One issue that *conveniently* gets overlooked and not spoken about much... The Levitt Shell. A great Midtown amenity. When that place is packed cars are parked in the grass along every road in the park plus the evil Memphis Zoo allows their parking lot to be used free. These aren't suburbanites suv's either. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

(09-02-2017 08:47 AM)memtigbb Wrote:  I am all for the zoo taking whatever it needs. You want woods, go somewhere else. The Zoo is a great, great place.

I am confused. How can the Zoo charge someone $10 to park on land that they don't own or control? If I want to, can I go downtown and charge people to park on the street?

The park was there first. The Zoo hasn't wanted to spend the money to fix the parking problem. They don't want to park people near the maintenance barn on E Parkway and shuttle them to the zoo. They didn't want to modify the existing parking spaces to handle more cars. They just want to charge people to park on PUBLIC property and keep the money.