Ishihara Park is a linear community park located in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...
. The park was opened to the public in February 2017 and is named after George Ishihara, a local resident who fought in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
as part of the Japanese-American
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Infantry Regiment ( ja, 第442歩兵連隊) was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-gene ...
and participated in the liberation of the
Dachau concentration camp.
History
The location of the park had previously been used as a parking lot and site for utility buildings.
In 2010,
the Los Angeles Metro approved plans to build a new light rail line connecting Santa Monica to
Downtown Los Angeles. In order to do so, Metro needed to establish a maintenance yard between the two locations. Concerned by the increase in noise that a maintenance yard and light rail line might bring to the nearby neighborhoods, Santa Monica and Metro agreed to establish a "buffer zone" between the surrounding residential neighborhood and the maintenance station.
Following engagement with the local community, a park was commissioned for the "buffer zone" and, thus, originally named "Buffer park."
In 2014, members of the local community were invited to propose names for the new park. Several residents suggested that the city rename the proposed park after local resident George Ishihara, a veteran of World War II who had lived most of his life in a house close to the park and had played a significant role in the local community before his death in 2009.
The park was designed by
Mia Lehrer + Associates and constructed in 2016.
Ishihara Park opened to the public on 25 February 2017.
Alongside the opening of Ishihara Park, the former Stewart Street Park was renamed
Gandara Park
Gandara Park is a 3.8 acre residential park located in Santa Monica, California, United States. Originally named Stewart Street Park, in 2016 the park was renamed to honor Joe Gandara, a local resident who was posthumously awarded the Medal of H ...
after World War II soldier
Joe Gandara
Joe Gandara (April 25, 1924 – June 9, 1944) was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Gandara was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18, 2014 ceremony in the White House. The awar ...
.
[{{Cite web, last=Hall, first=Matthew, date=2017-02-25, title=One big party for four park projects, url=https://www.smdp.com/one-big-party-for-four-park-projects/159920, access-date=2021-04-10, website=Santa Monica Daily Press, language=en-US]
Facilities
The park is broken up into several sections that can be used for different activities. The western end of the park contains outdoor exercise equipment. In the middle of the park, there is a pavilion with outdoor benches and tables along with a playground for young children. At the eastern end of the park is The Learning Garden which provides community members with a place to learn and improve their gardening skills by planting herbs, citrus trees, and other vegetables.
A half-mile walking trail traverses each section of the park.
References
External links
Official website
Parks in Los Angeles County, California
Municipal parks in California
Santa Monica, California
Parks in Santa Monica, California