I've worked in Rosslyn on and off for about 2 years now and I've only just discovered this "Freedom Park". I stumbled upon the Berlin Wall display on a random walk on a beautiful day. I didn't quite put two-and-two together that the Freedom Park arch (seen above) were, in fact, connected. Blond Moment. It was really nice the other day, so I decided to do some minimal exploring and research.
According to an Arl.now article, comparing Freedom Park to New York's High Line Park. This article described its history that I never knew:
The two are vastly different in terms of use, writer Dan Malouff concluded, but yet are similar in concept. For instance, the High Line was once a freight rail line designed to transport goods to and from the city more efficiently than ground-level rail. Freedom Park, on the other hand, was originally meant to be an elevated highway to help move commuters into the District more efficiently than Wilson Boulevard and N. Lynn Street.
Here are a few pictures I took along my 5 minute walk:
Greener pastures
For some reason, at the end of the pathway, there is a display commemorating the Berlin Wall and its history. This has NOTHING on seeing sections from the actual Berlin Wall, like I did when I visited Berlin in 2008. Its a bit of an odd placement, and because its not funded anymore, there is a big gate that is locked in front of it. A bit of a cheeky pun if you ask me. A gate around the Berlin Wall display? Hmm.
Some images
A really weird looking replica of Brandenburg Gate
Some history of what brought about the wall
Geographical representation of East vs. West Germany
Stories around those who tried to escape
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