ABCs of Central Park, a Labor Day Tour for Kids

Labor Day morning in Central Park provided a special treat for about 25 Upper West Siders and their friends in the form of a tour by prolific author, sculptor, and Upper West Sider, G Augustine Lynas. The children ranged in age from 5 to 13 and were all enthusiastic participants in The ABCs of Central Park, the title of the book and tour. We met at 10am at the Obelisk, where “Lynas,” as he’s known to his friends (among whom LW counts itself), explained to the kids how he ended up finding and writing about the ABCs. Lynas was asked to create a Central Park chess set. He searched for a king of Central Park and decided on Frederick Law Olmstead, the original designer of the Park. The queen was trickier, but he found her in the form of the angel on Bethesda Fountain. So Lynas had his A for angel. B was, of course, for buildings and Bow Bridge, boats and baseball. C was for castle and carousel, and so it went, the letters and their representatives manifesting themselves along the way. At the next stop on our tour, Lynas showed the kids how he was able to discover, over the course of two years, all the letters of the alphabet as well as numbers 1 through 9 written in the branches of the trees. Finding the numbers and letters in the trees is considerably more challenging in the summer when the leaves obscure the branches, proving The ABCs of Central Park to be a great book for all seasons!

After stopping at the Marionette Theater, strolling through the Shakespeare Garden, and climbing in to Belvedere Castle, admiring views and details, hearing stories and history along the way, we came to the Great Lawn, the conclusion of our tour. Instead of concluding, Lynas took a variety of frisbees out of his backpack, and we all played until everyone had to move on to their Labor Day picnics.

Lynas did not focus on looming threats to the park (CENTRAL dARK) and the tour was very upbeat and in the moment. Everyone on the tour was re-infused with an appreciation for the beauty of Central Park and how very privileged we are to have such a resource at our disposal. It was a day the kids will not forget. When and if it comes time to protect Central Park, these kids will join the fight.

Rudie E. Hurwitz is the Youth Education Director at Landmark West! In addition to tours for kids like this one, she runs Keeping the Past for the Future, LW!'s architectural history and preservation in-classroom education program. KPF operates in public and private schools throughout the Upper West Side. Please direct any inquires to: rudiee@landmarkwest.org and look out for future blog posts about KPF's activities.

Mariners' Playground sets sail for renovation

The Central Parks Conservancy is planning to overhaul their playground near the Mariners' Gate entrance, 85th Street and Central Park West.  Designed for 2-5 year olds, the playground renovation is part of the Conservancy's "Plan for Play" program and is the 7th of 16 planned projects under this initiative (the nearby Spector Playground for older children will be a future project).

The new, thoughtful design will provide for additional water play, perimeter play and circular seating, imaginative play, active play, manipulative play and the ever-popular swings.

Previously, Chris Nolan, the Conservancy's VP of Planning, Design and Construction presented their proposal to our LW! Certificate of Appropriateness Committee which opened a dialogue and gave community stake holders an early peek at the proposal in its working stages allowing them to provide their feedback.

We are pleased to report that this project was unanimously approved by the Public Design Commission yesterday. In the coming months, the existing playground will be dismantled and replaced by one with enhanced play opportunities and a more direct connection Robert Moses-era playgrounds of the 1930's and 1940's.

Please find a copy of Landmark West!'s testimony here. 

Upcoming Events - September 2015

Dear Friends of LANDMARK WEST!:

We have some exciting events coming up here at LW! to get you through these dog days of summer. Here is a sampling of our programs taking place in September:

Learn the ABCs of Central Park with Gerald Lynas!

Central Park

Monday, September 7, 10:00am 

A great Labor Day activity for the whole family!

Through the alphabet and numbers, artist/author G. Augustine Lynas introduces youngsters to the wonder and beauty of New York's Central Park, a NYC Scenic Landmark. First, we will discover where Lynas found inspiration for his book The ABCs of Central Park, then we will use our own keen eyes to snap candid photos of what Lynas calls "alpha-branches" and "number-limbs!" Check out Lynas' book here and see some pictures from our last tour with Lynas here. 

$5 per person. To make a reservation, please email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org or call (212) 496-8110.

Roberta Brandes Gratz Book Talk Celebrates Launch of 
We're Still Here Ya Bastards: How the People of New Orleans Rebuilt Their City

Book Culture, 450 Columbus Avenue (between 81st & 82nd) 
Wednesday, September 9, 6:30pm

Join LW! as we remember Hurricane Katrina (2005) and celebrate 10 years of steady urban regeneration in the historic city of New Orleans. Award-winning journalist, urban critic, and author Roberta Brandes Gratz will guide us through her newly released publication, We're Still Here Ya Bastards: How the People of New Orleans Rebuilt Their City. Gratz's book provides a powerful account of how community activists are leading their city's recovery. 

$15, $10 for LW! members. To make a reservation, please email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org or call (212) 496-8110. Reservations also available through Eventbrite by clicking here.

An Architectural Walking Tour of Lincoln Center with architectural historian Thomas Mellins

Lincoln Center

Wednesday, September 30, 6:00pm

Join us as we explore Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with Thomas Mellins, an architectural historian, independent curator, and author who has curated exhibitions for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the National Building Museum, the Yale School of Architecture, and many others. Mellins will lead us through the country's largest performing arts center, a space which represents the unity and talent of several prominent architects of the mid-20th century.  Then-starchitects Max Abramovitz, Pietro Belluschi, Gordon Bunshaft, Wallace Harrison, Eero Saarinen, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Phillip Johnson collaborated to create a world-class center of the arts in Manhattan, defined by an overall aesthetic that synthesized Classicism and Modernism. The tour will also highlight the recent redevelopment project, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Lincoln Center is on LW!'s Wish List of landmark designation priorities, and it was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

$25, $15 for LW! members. To make a reservation, please email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org or call (212) 496-8110. Reservations also available through Eventbrite by clicking here.

    

A Morning at Play

The first official day of the Fall season may not be until tomorrow, but this morning's beautiful weather tempted us to celebrate a day early.  With blue skies on our side, we took a mid-morning romp through the Adventure Playground, located just a stone's throw from the LW! office, inside Central Park (at West 67th Street).

Tree houses in the Adventure Playground, Central Park.

It's no secret that the Adventure Playground, designed by Richard Dattner in 1967, has a special place in the hearts of West Siders.  We encourage you to swing by, kids in tow, and see for yourself how engaging and aesthetically this playground truly is.  Consider it your excuse to be a kid again!

Central Park is home to a collection of adventure-style playgrounds; take a tour via our Summer 2011 blog post, here. 

Hear (from Richard Dattner himself!) about the history of the Adventure Playground; just click on the image below:

At the Naumburg Bandshell, Sounds of Summer

Throughout the year, LW! is pleased to share with our fellow West Siders news of upcoming events that celebrate our city's architectural and scenic landmarks.  Every summer, that includes the free classical music series at Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell (this year marks the 107th season!).  

Image via the New York Times

Today's New York Times shared a review of the series' "house band", The Knights, and their approach to outdoor performance set lists, considered by reporter Allan Kozinn to be experimental.  He writes:

        Most ensembles, including this one, have typically built their parks 

        programs of robust works that stand up easily to the formidable 

        competition of airplane engines; bird song; the distant, dull hum of the 

        city’s traffic; passing radios; and for a while on Tuesday evening 

        someone playing a snare drum not far from the Naumburg Bandshell.

        But the Knights decided not to be cowed by all that. Among their 

        offerings on Tuesday were Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” — not a whispered 

        work, exactly, but its subtleties are abundant — and Debussy’s 

        “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” a work rich in delicate textural details.

Read the complete review here, then mark your calendars for the next performance by The Knights at the Naumburg Bandshell, Tuesday, July 14th!

A Stroll in the Park with Andrew Dolkart

Central Park Walking Tour with Andrew S. Dolkart Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at 6 p.m. $25, $15 for LW! Members Meeting Location TBA **SPACE IS LIMITED** Tickets must be purchased in advance Click here to RSVP or email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org Central Park is the pleasure-ground of the chief city in a great republic. It has not been set aside by any privileged class for its own use and entertainment, but it is the creation of the whole people of the City of New York for their own enjoyment. ~ Clarence Cook, art critic, 1869*   Join LW! for a walking tour of the People's Park with Professor Andrew S. Dolkart, Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. *As quoted in Central Park's Scenic Landmark designation report. If you have any questions, call us at 212-496-8110.

LW's First-Ever Bicycling Tour!

Guest post by LW! Intern Ali K.

LW's Sarah S. and Guide Josef Szende
at Columbus Circle

What better way to celebrate Bike Month and welcome the summer weather than with a bike tour? This past Saturday, LANDMARK WEST! cruised the Upper West Side with bicycle enthusiast Josef Szende, exploring historic railway, subway and greenway sites and structures.

Beginning at the McKim, Mead and White IRT Powerhouse, we rolled through Riverside Park and along the Hudson River Railroad to 96th Street IRT Substation. From here, we enjoyed Central Park, the currently car-free haven for cyclists, jogger and leisurely wanderers. Along the way, Szende shared his knowledge of the recent updates to cycling infrastructure in the Upper West Side, making it easier and safer for everyone to enjoy our beautiful parks, streetscapes and historic architecture!

Szende discussing the development of the Route 9A Reconstruction Project,
making Manhattan's west side accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. 

Josef Szende earned his master's degree in urban planning (with a focus on transportation) at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation and his B.A. in geography from the University of Toronto. He is currently the Executive Director of the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District, and is also an avid Transportation Alternatives volunteer. 

Learning about the Hudson River Railroad, hidden behind the background's stone structure

Stay tuned for upcoming events and tours with LANDMARK WEST! over the summer on our blog, website and Twitter.

Join the Committee; Protect the Neighborhood!

The Tavern on the Green, in Central Park, soon to be restored
and modified with a glass pavilion.  An example of a recent preservation issue focused on
by our C of A Committee (learn more below!).

In landmarks preservation, designation is just the beginning!  Learn more about "on the ground" landmark stewardship and how YOU can participate in neighborhood preservation!

OPEN HOUSE: Get to know (and consider joining!)

the LW! Certificate of Appropriateness Committee

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 6 p.m.

Macaulay Honors College (35 West 67th Street)

Join us -- admission is FREE; wine and light snacks will be served 
CheeseSticks generously provided by John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks  
Click here to RSVP or email us at landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org

Even the staunchest of preservationists knows that in vibrant communities, changes in the built environment are inevitable.  Landmarks are not frozen in time, and they depend on our constant stewardship for appropriate and sensitive maintenance and growth.

When owners of landmark buildings and sites wish to make changes, they need to apply to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for what's called a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A).  LW's C of A Committee is an all-volunteer group that works with building owners and their architects, contractors and consultants to advise on design and protect the integrity of our constantly evolving neighborhood.  We welcome our friends and neighbors, architects, designers, historians, attorneys, real estate professionals ... anyone and everyone excited to volunteer their skills and expertise to the stewardship of the Upper West Side.

JOIN US on April 18th, meet current Committee members and others in the community who share your interest in neighborhood preservation! 

240 Columbus Avenue (then Victor's Cafe) at the time of its inclusion
in the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District in 1990.

These meetings culminate in testimony -- directly inspired by the input from our Committee members -- before the LPC, the Public Design Commission, and other public agencies and forums.  We "win" some, we "lose" some, but we always succeed in raising awareness about the history of our West Side neighborhood.   

A recent preservation issue -- and success story! -- has been 240 Columbus Avenue (formerly Victor's Cafe), at West 71st Street.  Thanks to collaborative efforts with the family of Victor del Corral, founder of the pioneering West Side restaurant, Victor's Cafe, a noteworthy bas relief mural on the 71st Street facade was saved from demolition.  This important layer of West Side history -- when Columbus Avenue and 71st Street was a destination for Cuban expatriates in New York City -- can be experienced and appreciated by future generations.  A new restaurant, Cafe Tallulah, is expected to open this Summer.  Click here to read more about our C of A Committee's work on this project.

Another recent issue of our Committee has been the Tavern on the Green in Central Park (pictured at the top of this post).  As we testified before the LPC:

"With this transition, LANDMARK WEST! is pleased to see the building's restoration needs being addressed.  Over dozens of years, the footprint of the Tavern on the Green gradually increased to accommodate larger private parties and seat more guests. Slowly but surely, the historic Jacob Wrey Mould-designed core was swallowed up by expanded kitchen facilities to the West and South, along with additional dining areas encased in greenhouse-like glass on the South and, famously, to the East in the form of the Crystal Room. With the removal of these egregious additions, the Tavern on the Green can once again breathe. And, perhaps more importantly, the public can fully experience and appreciate its architectural beauty in the landscape."  Read more here.

The proposal was ultimately approved by the LPC and the Public Design Commission, and the glass box will soon rise in the U-shaped courtyard of the Tavern.  Click here to read more about our work on this project.

JOIN US on Wednesday, April 18th, at 6PM for our first ever C of A Open House! The C of A Open House will be an opportunity for friends and neighbors to learn more about design review process and its essential role at LANDMARK WEST!.

UPDATE: A look at architectural renderings for new Tavern on the Green glass pavilion

Last week, LW! reported on the Landmarks Preservation Commission's (LPC) public hearing to consider both restoration work and a new addition at the iconic Tavern on the Green building, in Central Park.  

Following our post, we received from the project architects a copy of the final project rendering (see below; turns out the image sourced from Curbed.com was an early massing study).  

The project was approved by the LPC.  According to Dept. of Parks & Recreation staff who've presented at various public meetings and forums on this issue, the LPC-approved restoration work and glass pavilion are expected to be completed by mid-2013.

Rendering of final design for glass addition proposed (and approved)
for the Tavern on the Green building.
Photo: Swanke Hayden Connell Architects

Close-up view of area enclosed in yellow box, above.

UPDATE: As historic Tavern on the Green re-emerges, new addition threatens to obscure once more

Earlier this month, we reported on plans moving forward for the iconic Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park.  Since then, the action has moved from the field to the hearing room.

The City's multi-agency team and contracted architects have shopped their proposal for what is being termed the "shell and core" restoration of the building before Community Boards (including the West Side's own CB7 Preservation Committee, on February 9th) and, on Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).

Along with preservation colleagues like the Historic Districts Council (HDC) and Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts (connect with them here and here), LW! took to the podium before the LPC.  As we stated in testimony, "[t]he restoration of the Tavern on the Green to its former glory is an incredible contribution to the long history of this site." We're thrilled! Alas, "that restoration alone is not 'enough' and that an addition is also proposed is predictable" (copy our statement available here).

A glass pavilion has been proposed, to rise in the Tavern's Eastern courtyard, connecting to the historic building where once did the Crystal Room.  Curbed.com provided a glimpse of the final design for said pavilion, posting it to their site at almost the exact time that the LPC review commenced.

Proposed addition for the Tavern on the Green, via Curbed.com.

From LW's statement to the LPC:

LW! is not opposed to new design at the Tavern on the Green site in principle, but a legendary destination and a handsomely designed building such as this deserves something far more sympathetic; a quietly masterful note of our time. The pavilion proposed is a hefty glass-and-metal box that does nothing but hide what is most exciting about the building's primary facade: the East-facing central bay.

We're disappointed to report that the LPC ultimately approved the City's plan, glass box and all.

Read more from preservation advocates on this issue:
       - Statement of the Historic Districts Council (third project down, listed as "Item 9")
       - Statement of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts

*Central Park, home to Tavern on the Green, was the City's first Scenic Landmark, designated by the LPC in 1974.  Learn more about the park and its history in the designation report. Up until now, and until work on the restoration begins, the Tavern on the Green building has served as a visitor's center (more here).

In Central Park, Tavern on the Green to rise anew

Tavern on the Green, Central Park*

Tavern on the Green, the legendary dining destination inside Central Park at West 67th Street, will soon rise again.  But unlike the famously glitzy, high-priced restaurant of days gone by, the new Tavern on the Green (the name stays!) is set to be a casual, park-centric eatery that celebrates the historic architecture of the building and it's landmark landscape setting.

This past Tuesday, February 1st, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation (DPR), along with the Central Park Conservancy, the Department of Design and Construction, reps from Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, and others behind the project convened a site visit for all those interested in applying for the one-of-a-kind opportunity of operating a restaurant/bar at the Tavern on the Green site (currently serving as a visitors center).

From our office just down the way on West 67th Street, LW! scooted over to the Tavern site to hear and see for ourselves what the multi-agency vision for the new restaurant is.  And we weren't the only ones.  Dozens (50? 60?) of people flooded the terrace, where this summer food trucks reigned supreme.  In introductory comments, the DPR informed the crowd that the footprint of the former Tavern on the Green is to be reduced.  Earlier additions are to be demolished (the Crystal Room is already long gone) so that the U-shaped building at the core of the Tavern is all that remains.  With this in mind, we were taken in small groups to tour the building.

A stickered remnant of days gone by at the Tavern on the Green site in Central Park.*

Mirrored corridor inside the Tavern on the Green building.*

Following the short walk-through, a question-and-answer session took place.  As the morning's intended/primary audience was that of possible restaurant operators, rather than preservation advocates or design consultants, the majority of queries concerned HVAC allowances, storage availability, delivery access, and the like.  Though questions concerning intended landscape modifications did arise, they were not fully addressed.  They are expected to be a focus, rather, of the upcoming Community Board 7 Preservation Committee meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9th at 6:30PM (item No. 1).  This will be the West Side's first look at how the DPR and the Conservancy's vision of a reborn Tavern on the Green translates into landmark (both architecture and landscape) restoration and preservation.  Mark this important public meeting on your calendar!

The Feb. 1st site visit prompted quite a bit of press buzz; see and read for yourself:

*These photos familiar? Hopefully you saw them on our Twitter feed. For more from-the-field preservation updates, be sure to follow us!  See snaps like the one below, of graduate intern Ali K. doing site documentation of the Tavern.

Alpha-Branches and Number-Limbs: Fun in Central Park!

We couldn't have asked for nicer weather on Sunday, November 13th for LW's family program, The ABCs of Central Park, led by author and artist Gerald Lynas (visit http://www.lynaspress.com to see his work). The air was crisp and the leaves were crunching as families searched for and photographed the alphabet -- in the trees! Keep scrolling to see photos from the walk!

 

We even found our own initials in the trees!

Central Park Was Made for Fall

Photo, taken with Instagram, via @jamiezoob

This picture of fall in Central Park is so stunning; had to share it.  Happy fall, everyone! 

Get out there and enjoy the City's first Scenic Landmark: Central Park!

Celebrating 200 Years of Life on the Grid

Preservation largely documents the history of our built environment and cultural heritage.  But who documents the history of preservation itself?  That'd be the New York Preservation Archive Project (NYPAP)! 

For over a decade, NYPAP, under the leadership of Anthony C. Wood, has carefully kept tabs on the historic preservation movement in New York City -- the movers and shakers whose activism and and decision-making has shaped the City's Landmarks Law, the projects and legal cases that have defined the fight to preserve New York's historic resources.

One such hero of preservation celebrated by NYPAP is Andrew H. Green (more on him below!).  And this Saturday, November 12th, we (that means you!) are all invited to join the office of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to honor his contributions to the City.

The Andrew Haswell Green Bench in Central Park, via Wikipedia.

NINTH ANNUAL ANDREW H. GREEN TRIBUTE CEREMONY
AT THE GREEN BENCH IN CENTRAL PARK (SATURDAY 11/12)
Join Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscione as we raise a toast of non-alcoholic cider to the memory of Andrew H. Green. Though Green’s name is unfamiliar to most New Yorkers his legacy is everywhere: Central Park, Riverside Park, and Morningside Park; the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library; and indeed, the very five-borough city that exists today. Green, who is sometimes described as a 19th-century Robert Moses, was a pioneering city planner and preservationist, and the driving force behind the movement to consolidate the municipalities around New York Harbor into a single metropolis.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the Manhattan street grid plan, this year’s ceremony will focus on Green’s substantial modifications to that plan’s original design.

Saturday, November 12th
12:00PM/Noon
Andrew H. Green Memorial Bench, inside Central Park 

(see below for a map and directions)

FREE and open to the general public

GETTING TO THE BENCH
The Green Memorial Bench is located inside Central Park at about 105th Street. It is extremely difficult to find and is not marked on most park maps. For a printable/downloadable map with detailed directions click here.  

From the East Side: At Fifth Avenue and E. 102 Street, enter the park via the pedestrian entrance. Make your way onto the main auto drive. Walk north on the drive for about two blocks. When you come to the standing three-sided map on your left (the composting operation will be on your right), turn left on to the wide, well-paved crossover road that heads to the West Side. Take an immediate right onto the blacktop footpath that heads uphill. Bear right as you walk along the footpath. The bench is at the top of the hill.
 
From the West Side: At Central Park West and W. 100 Street, enter the park via the automobile entrance road. Bear left, merging on to the main drive. Continue walking north on the drive for about two blocks. Before the drive crosses a stone bridge, turn right onto the wide, well-paved crossover road that heads to the East Side. This road will be marked with an "Authorized Vehicles Only" sign. Continue down this road, passing a little police kiosk on your right. Just before the road intersects with the main east drive, turn left onto the blacktop footpath that heads uphill. Bear right as you walk along the footpath. The bench is at the top of the hill.
 
Note: There is a lot of construction taking place at the north end of the park right now which might make some of these directions unworkable. Be prepared to improvise!

A View from the Top: New book "Windows on Central Park"

A quick post to share some Friday inspiration, from yesterday's "A View of Central Park, or 100 of Them", by James Barron.

Photo from Betsy Pinover Schiff's new book, "Windows on Central Park" (via NY Times).
Taken from an apartment on Central Park West and 90th Street.

We can't wait to flip through Betsy Pinover Schiff's latest, "Windows on Central Park", to see for ourselves the incredible views she's captured.  The image above (possibly from the El Dorado?) is a compelling visual argument for the beauty of historic casement windows.  Breathtaking!

This Little Light of Mine

By Intern Kate G. 


Whenever you hear about Central Park, a 843 acre urban oasis, the names that immediately come to mind are Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. And rightly so, since they are the designers/brains behind the Greensward Plan, Central Park's original master plan. 

Greensward Plan

But since Vaux & Olmsted's masterwork was completed in 1873, the park has continued to evolve. Central Park as we know it today is made up of layers of change as the park deteriorated and then was progressively restored in the late 1970s and 1980s.One person who played a key role in the 1980s park restoration was architect Gerald Allen. During the late 1970s, Allen was brought on by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, the founder of the Central Park Conservancy, as part of the restoration team.

He literally shed light on the park! Allen, a New York architect that received a Masters at Yale, and Kent Bloomer, a Yale architecture professor, designed the light fixtures found throughout Central Park. As highlighted in a New York Times article published in August 1983, the key design question was whether the new fixtures, called luminaires, should be contemporary or historical. 

Photo Credit: Kent Bloomer Studio

Over a period of nine months, Allen and Bloomer worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation's General Services and the Landmarks Preservation Commission to refine the design. Upon approval, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers noted, the LPC review strengthened the design and "the light ...with its leaves and little seeds, is energetic and graceful. It satisfies all the practical optical requirements. I think it's very successful." These beautiful light fixtures are found throughout the park.

Photo Credit: Kent Bloomer Studio

Gerald Allen's work can also be experienced at the Cherry Hill Concourse (overlooking the Lake near West 72nd Street and Central Park West), which has lately been the subject of significant debate and is scheduled to be demolished and reconstructed this Fall 2011. As sited in Landmark West!'s testimony at the Design Commission, "Just as Central Park is a compelling example of New York City's historical palimpsest--that is, the tradition of the past accommodating the present-Cherry Hill is an archetypal example of the Park's evolution over the decades." Cherry Hill is representative of a key layer in the rich history of Central Park.  



With two such significant contributions to the design of Central Park, shedding some light on Gerald Allen's role in the long, ever-evolving history of Central Park is our pleasure!

*Gerald Allen is the co-author of The Place of Houses

Diggin' Up the Dirt on Central Park's Past

REPORT from the FIELD
By Debi and intern Kate G.

This morning we visited the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History’s Open House in Central Park.  The students' presentations were fascinating and ranged from the description of different nails found during the excavation, to the public's general knowledge of Seneca Village.  The entire Open House was a great reminder that no matter where you are in New York City, there are layers of history right beneath your feet!

Seneca Village Open House visitors learn about site findings, such as
19th Century "Tupperware" from students.

In the 1850s, Seneca Village, a thriving community with a population of nearly 300 people, existed on land between 81st and 89th Streets. This predominantly African American community was evicted and their land was taken through the right of eminent domain to make way for the construction of Central Park.

Victor A. Luna, a senior at City College, researched gender economics at Seneca Village.

This summer, the Institute (led by co-directors Cynthia Copeland, Nan Rothschild and Diana Wall) along with a crew of summer interns, conducted an archaeological excavation at the former site of Seneca Village. The Open House showcased the students' research and hosted walking tours of the site. Click here to see the New York Times' recent profile of the Institute's work.

The Seneca Village team excavated portions of a house built on the site.
Here, a visitor examines photos of what lies beneath.  The orange tape outlines
the foundations of the home.

Playtime in Central Park :: Playtime goes to the dogs, Part II

As West Side Rag wrote, "A project like this ... reminds people that landmarking is a way to hold on to things you care about."

We're thrilled at the positive reception our "Playtime in Central Park" photo series has had, and for the terrific participation from our friends and followers!  Already, you've seen Susy N.'s great photos of pups in the park.  Lucky for us--and for you!--we have more from her to share.  A great way to end the week, with a puppy serenade from Belvedere Castle (get it? 'cause they look like they're harmonizing in the chorus!).

Adorable yellow lab and American Eskimo puppies playing.
Belvedere Castle, 2001.

Having worked up a thirst, the "Adorable yellow lab and
American Eskimo puppies" enjoy some H20.
Belvedere Castle, 2001.

Susy & Michael's dog "Mika, a Rhodesian Ridgeback,
loved to go to the handball court and play ball".
The handball court in Central Park, 1997.

The blog series will continue for about another week, so start rummaging through your photo albums and boxes, see what memories you can turn up, and share them for publishing here!

Playtime in Central Park :: Twilight reservoir run

Power to the tweeters!

Since announcing the launch of our "Playtime in Central Park" photo series (three weeks ago yesterday!) we've been delighted to see our friends and followers on Twitter (and their friends and followers in turn!) share photos and encourage others to contribute. 

You can imagine our delight when we saw a photo recommendation of the Central Park West skyline, so near and dear to our hearts, from former LW! intern and Pratt Institute HP grad Will Vogel (via Twitter).

Thanks, MacLovinNYC, for this beautiful shot of the skyline, reflected in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.  Two skylines are better than one!

The blog series continues.  Check out our submissions to date and send in your own photo(s).  New or old, all are welcome!

Landscape Architecture is "Designing Awesome"

Today via Twitter, LANDMARK WEST! learned about the American Society of Landscape Architects' (ASLA) pop-up signage project "Designed by a Landscape Architect".

Columbus Circle, NY. August 17, 2011.

The open, green spaces we enjoy--public plazas, college campuses, roof gardens, and more!--don't design themselves!  The pop-up signs, complete with QR codes to drive curious passersby to more info online, remind us of that.  LW's Cristiana and intern Kate G. scooted over to Columbus Circle this afternoon to check it out for themselves!

LW! has recently been at the front lines of advocating for the preservation and protection of a public concourse in Central Park, itself the product of thoughtful and successful landscape design: Cherry Hill.  As LW! and our preservation colleagues have testified before not one but two city agencies, Central Park--New York's first Scenic Landmark!--is all about layers! 

And the 1980s renovation and redesign of Cherry Hill by Gerald Allen (the paved concourse and fountain restoration) and Philip Winslow (the surrounding landscape) is a significant layer worthy of protection.  The 1980s is a momentous time in the life of Central Park as it was then that New York's urban oasis was rescued from its deleterious state and progressively restored to the urban green we know it to be today!

Kate G. uses her iPhone and the ASLA QR code to learn more.

LW! inspired someone else to check out the ASLA pop-up sign, too!

The northern edge of Columbus Circle.