Given its many appearances in popular television programs and well-known Hollywood films, a 4,200-acre plot in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, certainly ranks as one of America's better known urban parks. Called Griffith Park, this sweeping urban retreat is a Los Angeles gem that's home to attractions that include an observatory, zoo, golf courses, an outdoor theater, and hiking and equestrian trails.

To be sure, today's Griffith Park bears little resemblance to the ostrich farm started by Griffith J. Griffith on ranch property at the easternmost end of the Santa Monica Mountains in 1882. A Los Angeles property developer, Griffith later donated much of the current park grounds to the City of Los Angeles and created a trust fund for the park's development. Other donations and the purchase of additional land by the City of Los Angeles subsequently expanded the Park to its current size.

Residents and non-residents alike often experience a feeling of eerie familiarity when visiting the Park for the first time, a feeling often triggered by the domed structure of the Griffith Observatory. The Observatory boasts a commanding view from its perch high atop the south slope of Mount Hollywood not only of the nighttime stars high over L.A., but also of the entire Los Angeles River Basin, including downtown L.A., nearby Hollywood, and somewhat farther afield, the blue Pacific Ocean.

The Observatory's pristine location has resulted in a number of noteworthy, if uncredited, appearances for this L.A. landmark in both movies and television. Readers old enough to remember the James Dean classic, Rebel Without A Cause, will instantly recognize the Observatory as a backdrop for much of the film. Other movie credits include The Terminator, The Rocketeer, Bowfinger, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and Transformers. Star Trek enthusiasts will also remember the Observatory from a two-part Star Trek: Voyager episode called "Future's End".

Although I delight in my childhood memories to the Observatory, the attractions at Griffith Park are by no means limited to stargazing. The Park is also home to the Los Angeles Zoo, frequent outdoor concerts held at the park's Greek amphitheater, and the Museum of the American West. Two 18-hole golf courses, a baseball field, basketball and tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool and miles of footpaths and horse trails make the Park a favorite destination for the residents of America's second largest city.

A so-called Master Plan covering the future development of Griffith Park is currently under development by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The plan, which calls for ongoing commercialization of the Park, is opposed by groups like Save Griffith Park, a cooperative effort supported by the Los Feliz Improvement Association, the Sierra Club, the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council, the Oaks Homeowners Association, Equestrian Trails, Inc., and worried citizens of Los Angeles.