Everybody loves a park.  We have posted galleries showcasing New York's beautiful national, state, and county parks in the past. This gallery is a little bit different. Here, we take a look at some of our wonderful city parks. Green spaces that are in the center of some of our most historic cities.

As we researched some of the Upstate city parks, one thing struck us. Famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who created New York City's Central Park, also left a might footprint on several of the city parks on this list. As you will see, Olmsted's name pops up several times in this gallery.

Another item we found surprising was the number of rose gardens to be found in the city parks. Back in the mid-to-late 1800s, when there was a renaissance in the creation of city parks in America, no park worth there salt would be built without a rose garden.  As you will see on this list, several historic rose gardens populate the parks in Upstate New York. And not just roses. Wait until you read about the tulips!  And the lilacs!

These are all great and all a little bit different. For example, a park is supposed to be a place of beauty, a place for the appreciation of nature, a place where people can gather for informal get-togethers out of the urban sprawl. Well, as you can see by the park on this list which represents the village of Clayton, not all parks are the same. Frink Park, while it does have the word "park" in its name, has no walking paths through shady forests, has not extravagant gardens or landscaping, has no vast green spaces to stretch out at, etc. Still, it is one of my favorite parks on the list and for "people and boat watching" it can't be beat.

11 Great Upstate New York Urban Parks

We have done a lots of posts over the years highlighting the various state and county (and national) parks that can be found in Upstate New York. This list is a little bit different.

Big cities and small towns, these are all worth a look!

Read More! 17 Weird and Fun Trivia Facts About Upstate New York

There are so many fascinating trivia facts about Upstate New York that one could write a book about it. Here are 17 interesting factoids about our region that will leave you scratching your head!

 

 

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