Simone de Beauvoir disagrees, declaring that "the green esplanade that extends to the obelisk, erected in memory of George Washington, is more disheartening than the Champs-de-Mars".
A green esplanade just outside the fort — perfect for kite flying — separates it from the historic town it was built to safeguard.
A green esplanade fronts the water; directly behind is the Liston, an arcaded street designed by the French to resemble the Rue de Rivoli in Paris.
Joggers, dog walkers and, in summer, sunbathers converge on the wide, green esplanade that runs along Pelham Parkway, but more wide-open space is available nearby at Pelham Bay Park, which at 2,764 acres is three times the size of Central Park.
Luggage, pieces of the hijacked planes and crushed emergency vehicles, smashed by falling debris, littered the complex's Gateway Plaza, which is separated from the Hudson River by a strip of green esplanade.
On weekends, the action moves to Lake Union Park, a 12-acre waterfront esplanade with a new green trail, a boat launch and an old naval building.
Stroll up the esplanade past the pale green ministry buildings to one of the most recent works by Niemeyer (who is still at it at age 103): the 2006 Honestino Guimarães National Museum (SCS, Lote 2; 55-61-3325-5220) where you can see the work of contemporary artists from around the world.
The size and location of the project, which would include green space and a waterfront esplanade, could be described as a developer's dream.
Another major park is the Esplanade, located along the banks of the Charles River.
So the beauty we encountered was serendipitous: the mosaics of black and white stone with which so many of the sidewalks, esplanades and plazas are paved; the tiles — yellow, green, white — with which so many of the buildings are faced.
