Central Park: extraordinary, to be sure. Guaranteed as a complement to New York City living, right? Well, let's see.

 

Suspend your disbelief for 2 minutes. Let's begin with a simple, rhetorical "what if ...?" What if we allowed a few "improvement" plans in Central Park, along the lines of those rounded up in a March 31, 1918, New York Times article (pictured below)?

 

What if     ...     the Reservoir were a venue "for the voyagings of a full-rigged ship by way  

                        of memorial of ancient times"? (Proposed in 1880)

 

What if     ...     all the walks in Central Park were straightened out, and the Park turned  

                        into a life-size checkerboard? (Proposed in 1911)

 

What if     ...     in the City's first Scenic Landmark, we built a huge sports stadium?  

                        (Proposed in 1912)

Click on the map to view an enlarged version.

Central Park is the world-renowned centerpiece of New York City; at 843 acres in size, stretching from 59th to 110th Streets, it is our communal front yard, where millions of New Yorkers and visitors alike gather to enjoy open space and fresh air.

 

But Central Park is perpetually under pressure, seen by some as the last frontier of development, from the ideas of various turn-of-the-century New Yorkers (noted at the beginning of this email) to more recent attempts by the City to monetize the Park. In 2010, LANDMARK WEST! lead the battle to "burst the bubbles", as the City proposed installing air-supported tennis structures measuring 3 1/2 stories in height.  

"Sheep Meadow Ranch" by architect Robert A.M.Stern.Click on the image above for an enlarged version of the drawing.

During the New York City fiscal crisis of the 1970s, there were dead-serious proposals to carve out residential building sites (while the southeast corner of the Park was initially targeted, the Central Park West corridor was not far behind). Nearly everyone, it seems, has asked the question "what if ...".

 

Architect Robert A.M. Stern is no exception. Dean of the Yale University School of Architect and known more recently for his design of the residential tower 15 Central Park West, in 1988, Mr. Stern daydreamed about Central Park. His internal musings produced a drawing entitled "Sheep Meadow Ranch" (seen at left). The original artwork was purchased at the "City for Sale" auction hosted by the Municipal Art Society and hangs, to this day, in the LANDMARK WEST! office as a constant reminder that Central Park is always at risk. Though Mr. Stern's satirical drawing makes the point that even after a century has gone by, those responsible for building New York City just can't take their minds off Central Park.

 

And so, we--LANDMARK WEST!, Upper West Siders and all New Yorkers--must remain vigilant advocates for its protection and preservation. Becoming a member of LANDMARK WEST!--beginning at a modest $50--affirms your commitment to preserving Central Park, to the benefit of not only our West Side neighborhood but to the City at large. Please join at whichever level is most appropriate for you, and be a part of the good fight!  

 

To read about our most recent advocacy campaigns concerning Central Park and much, much more, visit our blog.