Put me in the camp that likes the shallow DOF here. I mean, we all know what the view looks like. I think the hard focus on the bench invites the viewer to figuratively have a seat and enjoy the view themselves.....surely one can conjure up a memory of a beautiful like this. The vignette may be a bit strong, but I think it helps to draw us into the warm sunny glow of that bench and it whisks me away from my miserable job...... if only for 10 minutes. I need a vacation.
it's also nearly an optical illusion that this is just a set piece in front of a backdrop which I also think is cool.