Brooklyn Park and the Lush Green Grass
As one of the most unique cities in all of the United States, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is one of the most “natural” cities one could ever find. Tree-lined streets and dozens of recognized parks has earned Brooklyn Park the “Tree City USA” title with over forty miles of nature trails for walking and biking. Located in the Minneapolis Northwest region of the state, Brooklyn Park is the second largest suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul with nearly 80,000 residents and is the sixth largest city in Minnesota and is nestled on the western side of the Mississippi River’s bank.
Citizens from around the United States of America became familiar with Brooklyn Park when former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura ran for office and then became Mayor of the city in the early 1990’s before becoming Governor of Minnesota a few years later. When Ventura put the city on the map, out of towners started to realize that there was this beauty that was hidden in the shadows of the big city.
Brooklyn Park Township
Known for its farm-style look, was originally Brooklyn Township and became a city known as Brooklyn Park in 1969. The Eidem Homestead is still a real working farm from the early 1900’s and as of today is still an important landmark in the city. The farm, which was known mainly for his production of potatoes, is a big attraction among, tourists and even locals as many school-aged children visit with their classes. Eidem Homestead gives tours of their Victorian-style home that still resembles its era as well as an authentic working barn and animals as well as other farm buildings.
In the Northwest Minnesota climate, Brooklyn Park experiences extremely cold winter weather and on average, over fifty inches of snow each year; and the average temperature in the winter months barley hitting ten degrees. The city also gets on average over thirty inches of rain each year, but the summer average highs can reach between seventy and eighty degrees.
The Beauty of Brooklyn Park’s Edinburgh USA Golf Course
Brooklyn Park is also well-known for being the home of Edinburgh USA Golf Course, one of the best and top-rated golf courses in all of America. The Course has acres upon acres of lush green grass and several waterways following a Scottish-inspired design. One of the best features of the golf course is that it is owned and operated by the Brooklyn Park Recreation and Parks Department, making it one of the beautiful features of the city. The course has also been the home to many important PGA events throughout the years as well.
With the sandy soil that Northwest Minnesota is known for, Brooklyn Park is famous for the farms of potatoes that grown there. Potatoes tend to grow better in the sandy soil making it the perfect environment for the vegetable. In fact, the potato is such a big part of the culture in the city that there is a “Tater Daze” celebration, which is a fifty-year tradition.
One of the many parks in the city is their very own Central Park, this is considered a “hub” for friends and colleagues to meet to play recreational co-ed sports with softball fields and tennis courts. One of the newest parks in the Brooklyn Park is the Brooklyn Park Environmental Nature Area that is designed simply for the furry members of the family as a one of a kind dog park.
Brooklyn Park Trails
The biggest trail and park of Brooklyn Park is the Rush Creek Regional Trail that is over nine miles of nature preserves and beautiful paths, most notably known for being a bike trail but in the winter also makes a great cross-country ski path as well. The Trail gives a natural and rustic view of Brooklyn Park, so riders can enjoy all the sights and sounds of the surrounding area. The best time of year to take a hike would be late spring or early summer when everything is in full bloom, or even in early fall, before it gets unbearably cold and the sound of leaves crunching as you walk will give the overall sense of the season.
The Shingle Creek Regional Trail is another hiking and biking trail that actually connects with the above mentioned Rush Creek Regional Trail. Shingle Creek is a natural path with native tree-lined paths and maybe even a wildlife sighting along the way and is also great for biking and hiking. As part of the Three Rivers Park District, all of the trails, feature both a paved, direct route or a more “rustic” find your way type of path, making the world around you even more enjoyable. Enjoying all that nature has to offer is what makes these trails so unique.
When navigating through the many trails of Brooklyn Park, one could see several trees in various forms of Oak and Maple, White or Black Spruce and a Red Pine just to name a few. The many types of birds that call the Brooklyn Park area their home include Hawks, Falcons, Owls and even Crows so they could all be seen while on a leisurely hike.
Brooklyn Park Flowers
Brooklyn Park is also well-known for their beautiful prairie flowers that grow freely everywhere. Flowers like the Peony, Monarda or even the Coneflower to name a few. These types of flowers can withstand extremely cold winters and then bloom just in time for mid to late spring and can be enjoyed all summer long. Prairie flowers are also natural to all of these parks and farm lands making them a common occurrence.
In the heart of a Minnesota winter, activities such as snowmobiling, ice skating and skiing are all popular activities for the residents of Brooklyn Park since there are so many locations that have beautiful, wide open land. The Three Rivers Figure Skating Club is a popular rink and features some of the best skaters in Minnesota. Snowmobiling as well as skiing can be done on any of the open trails and some even offered designated areas for sledding.
Although a large city and right outside the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, it is places like Eidem Homestead and the trails that give Brooklyn Park an overall sense of a classic small town. The city was built off of its beautiful nature and everything that it was built. Sometimes when the world gets so technologically advance, many forget that it is the simplicity of a place that is the true beauty of it all.
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