The nation's oldest park, the Boston Common has belonged to the people of Boston since 1634 when each householder paid a minimum of six shillings toward its purchase. For over 350 years it has been a center and a mirror of civic life, free and open to all. Today this hallowed ground remains a green oasis in the heart of the city. It is a site of major events and recreational activities.   The Boston Public Garden was established in 1837 by a group of Proprietors as the first public botanical garden in the United States. In 1852 it was returned to city control, and after passage of the Public Garden act of 1858 was laid out essentially in its present form. The beauty of the Boston Public Garden lies in the Lagoon, Swan Boats, sculpture, fountains, flower beds, and its notable trees. Today the Boston Public Garden is a place of public pride, planted and sustained for present and future generations.   Set out from 1858 to the 1870s as part of the Back Bay, Commonwealth Avenue Mall is a grand allée of shade trees forming a distinctive link in Boston's Emerald Necklace. Today the Mall remains a vital amenity for neighborhood residents as well as an attraction for those visiting the city.
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