Historic Central Park

As large cities have grown larger, urban green space has been under increasing pressure. Over the years, land values in the world’s great cities have skyrocketed. The preservation of common space like city parks has been a high priority for many citizens. Central Park in New York City stands as a testimony to the struggle between development and the commonwealth. Central Park stands in the middle of the one of the largest cities in the world.

Prior to the construction of Central Park, many of the city’s parks were private and located in more-affluent areas of the city. Access to these private parks was given was given only to residents of the adjoining neighborhoods. The development of Central Park was an attempt to provide everyone with a place gather and escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Many cities, including my hometown of Chicago, have created small urban parks. Scattered around the Chicago metropolitan area is a series of forest preserves. Columbus, Ohio has its own equivalent to forest preserves called Metro Parks. Los Angeles has Griffith Park which is four times the size of Central Park. Like Central Park, Griffith Park has a zoo. Griffith Park also features such notable attractions as the Griffith Park Observatory and the world-renowned Greek Theater.

With close to 70 thousand per square mile, Manhattan Island has one of the densest concentrations of people per square mile. Covering over 800 acres, Central Park provides New York residents with the chance to escape the mass of concrete and steel that dominates most urban landscapes.

Home to picnic grounds, statuary, entertainment venues, children’s playgrounds and sports fields, Central Park receives over 25 million visitors a year. In addition to its natural beauty, Central Park’s main attractions include the world famous Central Park Zoo. Hosting yearly performances by the New York Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Great Lawn has had its share of large public gatherings.

During the 1800s, most of the population of New York was concentrated on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. It was during this period that the idea of a great public park was first discussed. Central Park was built on land that had been home to a diverse population of immigrants and freed slaves. In areas like the Piggery District and Seneca Village, poverty was rampant. As plans for the Park progressed, newspaper reports from the time make reference to opposition from local residents and advocates for the poor. Affluent residents of Lower Manhattan felt that the areas like Seneca Village were blighted beyond reclamation.

The city government eventually turned to eminent domain, displacing poor residents and clearing the land. Displaced residents received little to no compensation for their loss. Even the convent that housed the Sisters of Charity was demolished and the Sisters were forced to relocate the ministry that had tended to the needs of the poor.

Construction of the Park took nearly 13 years and was officially dedicated in 1873. Central Park remained a work in progress for many years though the 1960s and 1970s were a period that saw the park fall into a state of disrepair. Community leaders and city officials mounted an effort to restore the park that was completed in the 1980s. Since then, Central Park endures as a public treasure.