The newly opened NaMo Grand Central Park in Thane is one of India's largest urban parks, spread over 25 acres. Inspired by the iconic Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London, it features four themed gardens, a lake, amphitheater, children's play areas, and walking/jogging trails. The park aims to provide city residents access to nature and green space while also hosting cultural events. In its first two months it has attracted large crowds despite some challenges in transportation access and addressing specific needs across all ages.
Inspired by internationally acclaimed green spaces, the Thane Grand Central Park (named NaMo Grand Central Park), is a gift of greens to Thane amidst the greys of concrete. It is Maharashtra?s first central park and probably the biggest urban park. One of the most well-planned natural spaces, the aim of NaMoGCP is to motivate people from the cities to blend with nature.
Currently, the park has four theme-based gardens, a fitness and play zone for children, an x-bridge, a 400-capacity amphitheatre, a lakefront and a 750-metre-long promenade alongside it. Envisioned on the lines of the iconic Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London, it will also have a 31,000-square-foot skating park, which is the largest in the country.
The Grand Central Park was made open for the public on February 8. The project has been constructed on an amenity plot in the Kolshet area of Thane. The park was built by the Kalpataru Group in lieu of TDR because of which the Thane corporation hasn?t incurred any construction expense.
Spread over 25 acres with 20.5 acres accessible currently and 4.5 acres under development, the park was designed by Thai based Landscape Architects (L49) and developed by Kalpataru. It caters to all ages with activities like zip lining, splash pads and treehouses for children. Couples enjoy strolling while elders relax or spend time with grandchildren. Teenagers socialize or play music in the amphitheatre on weekends. The four themed gardens inspired by Moroccan, Chinese, Japanese, and Mughal designs and the three-acre lake provide scenic backdrops for photos.
To ensure a seamless experience, the park boasts ample parking space and a substantial team to manage its various areas. This team includes 22 individuals overseeing traffic management, seven staff members operating the ticketing counter, and around 150 personnel maintaining the park's upkeep and ensuring its smooth operation.
While they enjoyed exploring, the hour-long commute from Ghatkopar and expensive autos from the station were downsides.
Two months after opening, NaMo Grand Central Park in Thane continues to attract large crowds from the city and surrounding areas like Ghatkopar, Sion and Kalyan. Going forward, the Central Park looks at hosting cultural and sporting events, which they say would make it more vibrant while also helping in generating revenue. With positive feedback so far, it aims to address issues like senior citizen ticket availability to serve visitors of all ages.
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