Riverside California - Introduction
When you hear the word “Riverside,” you may think of sedate blue
water moving through a green landscape, a landscape green with high
grass and trees with healthy, leafy canopies. You may think of a city
more park than city. And your impression might not quite fit Riverside
itself. Riverside is, after all, a major city in California, the
largest city in the Inland Empire with a population of nearly 300,000.
But although Riverside struggles with big city problems like smog,
urban sprawl and traffic, it still fits its nickname: the city of
trees. You need only take a look at the city from above to see it –
the downtown is lined with trees and every street has its own corridor
of greenery. Victoria Avenue, which plunges through Riverside’s
middle, is a spectacular example of these green corridors. It’s
remarkable that in a city so large, so many of the landmark
attractions are an interesting mixture of nature and history. Mount
Rubidoux is more a foothill than a mountain, but few walks are more
fascinating than this. Historic plaques line the trails up to the
summit. This summit is home to the Peace Tower and a cross visible
from below. The California Citrus State Historic Park preserves orange
groves much as they were in the turn of the century and still
producing. Gardens and parks are easy finds – indeed, they’re
everywhere. Riverside is also rich culturally – April’s
Riverside International Film Festival is a worldwide affair and the
Riverside Festival of Lights is a month-long Christmas party at the
Mission Inn. Mission Inn is an attraction itself. Its design by
several architects resulted in a pleasingly eclectic oddness and what
was once an adobe 12-room cottage has turned into a city block’s worth
of exotic buildings. The University of California – Riverside is
another place to visit for cultural richness - galleries and museums –
as well as the irrigated desert landscaping Riverside is known
for. Riverside is about 10 miles south of San Bernardino and 32
miles east of Orange County.
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