As parks go, Parque Poblado is rather basic. In fact, the term ‘park’ is a little generous. Apart from the trees and people dotted around, it has very little in the way of park life.
I would actually probably put it more in the plaza category.
As locations go however, it is great. Located on the crossroads between Calle 10 and Avenida Poblado, it is a stone’s throw away from many bars and restaurants.
The popular cafe Tinto Tintero, in its new location, has a balcony looking over the ‘park’, while the pleasant restaurant Osea and cool bar El Guapo (delicious cocktails with cool music) are just a block away.
It is also stumbling distance (downhill I may add) from the entertainment of Parque Lleras. Many an inebriated soul has found their way down to the taxi rank by the park after an eventful evening.
In the day there is little to draw you there, aside from a flower seller and a taxi stand.
And it has several benches dotted around should you wish to rest your legs; however it is small with only some wooded areas and an open plaza to entertain you. In all honesty, by day it looks a bit grubby.
However in the night time, it comes alive.
It is a very popular spot for students, locals and tourists to relax with some beers (or shots of Aguardiente) and meet up before a night out.
The crowd is a bit more alternative than Parque Lleras, you may see the odd guitar player and there are rock t-shirts out in force, but the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant.
The only negatives are that you might be asked to buy some crappy piece of jewelry (thankfully one of the few places in Medellín you will find street hawkers) or see a rat scuttle past.
But the park is a nocturnal creature and generally dolls itself up well.
It has some classy lighting and at present there is a cool Generosidad (“generosity” in English) art installation just in front of the park, a remnant of the 2014 Alumbrados which saw positive values spelled out in neighborhoods throughout the city.
It gives the park a bit more glamour and vibrancy than its usual self, and combined with the Christmas lights hanging from the trees, it actually can be mistaken for a bit of a romantic wonderland.
When it is not all dressed up for Christmas, the park does host events, such as the Fete de la Musique, and if there are cultural events going on around the city, the park will more than likely be host to one.
There is also a big screen which shows major sporting events (the World Cup was on show last summer) and the time in Hong Kong or the temperature in Miami, should you wish to know it.
Overall, the park is more of a meeting spot, ideal for a night time get together rather anything else. As long as you aren’t expecting too much else, it will do you just nicely.
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Photos: Parque – Andres EM, Church – Luis Pérez
Nice write up. I agree with you about it being a nocturnal spot. It’s a young crowd at night, and somewhat a “hipster” scene. Nothing beats the ability to drink in public with friends, that’s true freedom.
We are staying in Poblado right now and really appreciate write ups like this. They really help us realistically shape our expectations. We just moved Parque Poblado to after dinner so we could continue to see the Christmas lights after dark. BTW: We didn’t realize how quiet New Year’s was here, so we actually stayed at our beautiful Frontera condo last night. It might be great to have a blog just to describe customs like business hours during holidays. When I visited Malaga Spain, for instance, I had no idea that much of the city was closed on Sundays.
Thanks for everything you write, though…both bloggers and commenters!