The Baku Boulevard, or Bulvar, is the long landscaped promenade along the curve of the bay between the seaport and Crystal Hall, a distance of about three kilometres. It dates from 1909, when the city decided to landscape the oily, rubbish-strewn coastal strip into something more dignified, and has been extended several times since.
Today it is the city's social spine. Locals gather here on summer evenings to walk, eat ice cream, take selfies, and ride the small carnival rides. The Caspian Sea Park section adds gardens, a small lake, restaurants, and a giant ferris wheel called the Baku Eye. It's a flat, easy walk and the best place to feel the city as a place to live in rather than a place to look at.