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Originally inhabited by the Weckquaesgeek Tribe, who lived in the area until the early 17th century, this densely forested high ground at the northern end of Manhattan was “Lang Bergh” or Long Hill to the early Dutch colonists. The Continental Army called the strategic series of posts along the Hudson River “Fort Washington” during the summer of 1776, until Hessian Read more...
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One of the city’s main recreation hubs, the Park has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, in large part through the vision and support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in keeping with his historic citywide commitment to the preservation of open spaces and waterfront restoration and development. In 1992, the Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) (formerly the Randall’s Island Sports Read more...
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Designed and constructed over a thirty-year period (1865-1895) by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the masterminds behind Central Park, Prospect Park has blossomed into a premiere destination for Brooklyn visitors and residents alike. Widely known for its intricate manmade watercourse (wetlands) and its trees, the bulk of Brooklyn’s remaining indigenous forest, the park is a highly functional green space. Read more...
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Patrick Henry McCarren (1847-1909) was born in East Cambridge, Massachusetts to a family of Irish immigrants. He moved to Williamsburgh (now part of Brooklyn) where he attended school before learning the cooper’s trade and working in sugar refineries along the waterfront. McCarren rose through the ranks of the Brooklyn Democratic Party to win election to the State Assembly in 1881 Read more...
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The East River Park runs alongside the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Drive and the East River from Montgomery Street to East 12th Street. It was conceived in the early 1930s when Robert Moses (1888-1981) was designing the FDR (also known as East River) Drive. Moses knew that the expressway would pass through the Lower East Side, a neighborhood sorely in Read more...
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Situated on the East River, John Jay Park is named for a New York jurist and statesman. John Jay (1745-1829) was elected President of the First Continental Congress in 1778. He drafted New York’s first constitution in 1777, was appointed Minister to Spain in 1779, and negotiated the peace treaty with England in 1783. With Hamilton and Madison he wrote Read more...
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There’s old New York, and then there’s old New York. Inwood Hill Park is a living piece of old New York. Evidence of its prehistoric roots exists as dramatic caves, valleys, and ridges left as the result of shifting glaciers. Evidence of its uninhabited state afterward remains as its forest and salt marsh (the last natural one in Manhattan), and Read more...
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Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan’s most spectacular waterfront park. As one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York, it has a long and storied history. Since 1875, the landscapes of Frederick Law Olmsted have offered escape from the city and Read more...
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Arguably one of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park is a manmade wonder. Not only is it the first public park built in America, but it is also one of the most frequently visited, with over 25 million guests per year. Set in the middle of bustling Manhattan, its grounds serve as a safe haven, not only Read more...
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Around twenty thousand years ago, New York was buried beneath massive glaciers. When the ice receded, it left behind the characteristic sketch of Van Cortlandt Park—steep ridges, smooth hillsides, and open flats—and exposed its three major rock components: Fordham Gneiss, Inwood Dolomite, and Manhattan Schist. It took about seven thousand years for Paleo-Indians to arrive in this area, following mastodon, Read more...
