#10 Corbin Park

Spokane's Best Parks -

Corbin Park is a former horse-racing oval that now offers a green oasis on the lower north side of Spokane. How cool is Corbin Park? The park was designed in 1916 by the Olmsted brothers whose father, not coincidentally, designed Central Park in New York City. Renowned park planners in their own right, parks throughout the City of Spokane were influenced by their wisdom, and Corbin demonstrates some of their hallmark planning techniques by creating different spaces in different places. Despite being a flat, nearly perfect oval, as you meander from one side of Corbin Park to the other, you see and sense the landscape changes like walking from room to room in a home.

Stately, turn of the century Victorian manners surround Corbin Park and the owners take pride and recognize the value of their neighborhood. Corbin Park is a fine example of a park boosting property values for it's surrounding neighborhood, which is also called Corbin Park. In fact, inner-city decay has dominated most of the blocks between Corbin and the central city. But for the Corbin Park itself, the stately Victorians surrounding it would have long ago converted to multi-unit rentals and the neighborhood would have experienced the same fate of those surrounding it. The good news is the old Victorians sell for less than most others located throughout the City, so those with less buying power can still nab a beautiful home for a great price. To boot, the immediate neighborhood surrounding the park is one of only two national Historic Districts in town.

Corbin Park itself is a flat, lush field with mature trees, playgrounds, and walking trails. It sets the stage for picture perfect family outings and the kids whom live around it are some of the luckiest in town.

Corbin Park Design from: City/County Historic Preservation Office

(Featured photo courtesy of Voyagerheim)