Humboldt Park - Buffalo, NY
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 54.230 W 078° 50.370
17T E 676376 N 4752400
Humbolt Park, now known as Martin Luther King Jr. Park, is a 56 acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted on the east side of Buffalo.
Waymark Code: WM487V
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 07/20/2008
Views: 38
The following is from
New York: A Guide to the Empire State in the Buffalo points of interest section:
HUMBOLDT PARK, entrance at Fillmore Ave. and Best St., 65 acres, is Buffalo's popular East Side resort. The grounds form an arboretum with 160 species of woody plants. In the NIAGARA FRONTIER ROSE GARDEN, under the supervision of the Rose Society of Buffalo, new and established species of roses are cultivated. On the east side of the park is the CITY GREENHOUSE, where a chrysanthemum show is held each autumn, and where every year a 'pavilion' is erected, consisting of a 12-foot mound of densely growing flowers, with a century plant at the top. This novelty is on view from June 15 to September 1.
I'm sure the neighborhood was a lot different back when the Guide was written. Today it is very largely African-American, and thus isn't the most desirable place to be. Fortunately, this Frederick Law Olmsted designed park is still in very good shape, well maintained and is a bright spot on the east side of the city.
The rose garden mentioned in the Guide doesn't exist anymore, but in it's place is a very nice flower garden with benches and a variety of plant specimens. In 1977 the park was renamed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a large 8' bust of him was erected on the east side of the park near the greenhouse. I don't believe the chrysanthemum show occurs anymore either. The park is home to the annual Juneteenth Festival.
In the center of the park, where a large 500' diameter wading pool once stood is a vast expanse of concrete. The center of the former wading pool does contain some fountains and a much smaller pool, used by the neighborhood kids.