Place Post: Allen Park

Allen Park is a park located in Far West Austin and, though not far from UT campus, is very secluded. Though it is a listed park on austinparks.org, which should suggest that it is well known to the mass population, residents that live close to the area are the people that mainly visit it. The only two people I saw on my walk at Allen were residents close to the park. The reason for this could be that unless one knows exactly where to go, it is difficult to find. To reach it one must go to West 2222 and turn right on Balcones and then turn left on Hart and then left on Westside, and the park entrance will be on the left.

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01376/030512_allen_park__1376775c.jpg

The park is ideal for hikers; it is 10 acres and has some very steep trails. There are also several things that appeal to picnickers: a number of wooden tables and a sheltered area to block potential rain from people looking to have a picnic. Though it has amenities for picnickers and one barbeque pit, I was struck at how little the natural environment is altered. There is a trail cleared out and stairs to lead one up the steeper parts of the trail, but the stairs are made of rock, which blends in to the natural environment. Also the fact that the tables are wooden makes them seem like not so foreign objects in the natural environment. The fact that this Park seems so natural despite the fact that it has been altered for humans, makes this a great place to get away from the real world and truly enjoy nature. In fact from some vantage points at Allen Park you have a scenic view of the city of Austin, the sight of which helps remind one of the world one tries to escape when going to a place like Allen Park.

 http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=667

To me a place like Allen Park is the quintessential American environment. Though one may argue that the American environment must center around the American dream, and therefore the American lawn is the best example of the American environment. Others may argue that pollution is the best example of the American environment because it exemplifies the entrepreneurial and capitalistic spirit that one may argue made this country great. However I would argue that a place like Allen Park is fits the term “American Environment” best. When I think of the environment I think of a world outside of the one we live our daily lives in, a world that is quiet and unaltered by humans. And by these standards, a place like Allen Park is the quintessential American environment.