Fun For All: A Park once for the wealthy, now welcomes all

The Patrician Landscape
“By the 1870s, when this illustration was made, Central Park had become the primary escape for New Yorkers from all over the island. The park’s original supporters — mostly members of New York’s aristocracy — contended it would relieve congestion in the city’s downtown parks and provide upper-class citizens with a venue to showcase their carriages”
(http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1915263,00.html#ixzz2AhPXwUi4)

Today Central Park can be recognized as being the “park for the people,” but this was not always the case. Although the park now welcomes people from all walks of life from places all over the world, the park was once a place for only the wealthy and elite residents of New York City. All residents of the city were in great need of a public space for leisure time activities, but as Central Park was being constructed and developed, it was becoming clear as to whom the park was really intended; the wealthier classes.

In the nineteenth century, “the leading landscape architects and park advocates believed that parks were important instruments of enlightenment and social control” (Taylor).  Landscape architects promoted public parks for their beneficiary characteristics and for their personality building capabilities. Keeping these ideas in mind, landscape architects tried to use these two arguments to help persuade government officials to invest in and promote the creation of city parks. As more city parks and public spaces were being built, the parks started to become spaces of political and social debate. Central Park was intended to be a space for city dwellers to escape the chaotic city life, but instead, the discontent between the social classes grew.

Temporary Residence
“During the early 1930s, shacks for destitute New Yorkers made a return to the park. This time, Hoover Village, named for the President who presided over the onset of the Great Depression, sprung up in an old reservoir that was no longer in use”
(http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1915263,00.html#ixzz2AhPtloEC)

“In the first decade of the park’s completion, it became clear for whom it was built. Located too far uptown to be considered within walking distance for the city’s working class population, the park was a distant oasis to them” (NY.com). Traveling to the park was of greater expense than the majority of the working class citizens could afford, and therefore in the late 1800’s the park continued to be a space for the wealthy. The park’s paths were lined with lavish carriages, symbolizing one’s status and economic class. On the weekends and afternoons, women crowded the park with their spouses for concerts and carriage rides, while Saturday afternoon concerts drew more middle class audiences. Sundays in the park welcomed the working class population and as it was the day that they did not have to work, they could therefore use the time to spend in the park, that’s if they had the means to travel to the site. By the late nineteenth century, the working class comprised all but a fraction of Central Park’s population, and they fought to convince the city department to hold concerts on Sundays as well for them to enjoy.

Central Park was becoming a space that was primarily used by the upper and middle classes, but as the working class gained more access to amenities in the park such as concerts on Sundays, a clash between the classes began to emerge, and conflict over what is considered to be appropriate park behavior and use became an area of conflict. Olmstead and Vaux hoped that through creating a park, they would be able to provide city dwellers with access to a world of extraordinary culture, and it would help instruct the large population of urban and working class people about the conventional American life values and way of life. “A place for the poor to breathe the pure air and for the affluent to enjoy riding and driving—such was the primitive notion of the originator of the plan for Central Park” (NewYorkTimes) Tension between classes gave rise to working class activism to achieve more access to park space, and for greater freedom in defining workingclass leisure time activities and behavior. These tensions and struggles gave way to the foundation for a recreation movement, and they were critical in the rise of urban, and multipurpose parks that were designed for passive and active recreational use. The change in demographics from being a park for primarily middle and upper class individuals to a space that was more welcoming of working class citizens paved the way to new methods of thinking about and using the park as a public space for recreational and leisure activities.

“Children and adults with herd of sheep in the Sheep Meadow in Central Park, New York City, ca. 1900-1910”. (Courtesy NYC Municipal Archives) (http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/04/historic-photos-from-the-nyc-municipal-archives/100286/)

 

Although Central Park first appeared to be a park intended for the wealthier classes, Olmstead, and the city’s government officials “uhoped that social ills would be swept away, as the beauty of the city would inspire civil loyalty and moral rectitude in the impoverished” (Rose).

A Fall Sunday Stroll In The Park

When entering the over 800 acres that make up Central Park, one might expect to be overwhelmed by the grandness of the space. Although when one usually pictures a park in their head, a quiet, calm, and open space may come to mind; a place to leisurely walk, and sit on park benches lined with trees and open air. Central Park is a place to stroll and act as a flanneur in the openness of the park, but while walking through the space, one cannot help but see the park as more of a place for partaking in activities that the space has to offer, rather than relaxing on a park bench. On foot, one can discover the beauty that the space has to offer, and to experience the landscapes on an intimate level, not being confined to the rules of the streets. Michel de Certau explains in “The Practice of Everyday Life,” “to walk is to lack a place. It is the indefinite process of being absent in search of a proper” (103). A walker can wander aimlessly through the space without having a purpose, and Central Park offers visitors with the opportunity to view the space as a place to utilize and take advantage of through the activities and amenities that the Park has to offer. When walking through Central Park, one cannot help but get lost in the openness and tranquility of the park’s landscape, by creating an environment in which the walkers can drift away.

When journeying through the various sections of the park, each part has a different feel. The tourists seem to venture more towards Central Park South, otherwise known as 59th Street, near the intersection of 5th Avenue, by taking a horse and buggy ride through the park. Venturing deeper into the park, pedestrians walking are surrounded by runners in roadways that run through the park, bicycle riders in their designated bike lanes, horse and buggies, and Pedi cabs, and taxi cabs. There is no shortage of transportation lines bustling through the park. As a pedestrian strolling through the winding paths of Central Park, it almost feels as if the park is divided into various sections. Children and families run and play at the Central Park Zoo, and they sail sailboats in the pond at the Central Park Conservatory Water. Walking in Central Park on a Fall Sunday morning sheds new light onto the park, creating a magical feel to the park. Entering the park on the Upper East Side at the 84th Street entrance, one can walk behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sneaking a glimpse of the art and history that the walls encage; walking up the winding path behind the museum, one can also people watch the visitors inside who are strolling through the new American wing. Continuing up along the path, one will stumble upon the Great Lawn’s eight baseball fields where locals and teams alike play softball. The Park is very much awake on an early Sunday morning, and it seems that people are not only awake, but very much alive. A popular spot for a weekend morning in the park is the Central Park Reservoir, named after Jackie Kennedy Onasis in 1994. In the novel Marathon Man, the main character states “whoever invented the reservoir must have done it with him alone in mind. It was without flaw, a perfect lake set in the most unexpected of locations” (Goldman, 18), and this rings true with many New Yorkers as well. The Reservoir is a space that conveys a sense of tranquility and solitude with breathtaking views of the Park, as well as city landscapes which are enclosed with a beautiful steel and cast-iron fence.

Continuing on a walk through the park, one can travel through the Mall. The Mall, also known as Literary Walk, is the only path in the park that is a straight line, and it is considered to be Central Park’s most horticultural feature, featuring rows of American Elm Trees; it is lined with benches, street artists and musicians. The Mall empties out onto to a staircase where Bethesda Fountain overlooks the infamous Boathouse. Walking underneath the underpass down the stairs to the fountain, one will be met with musicians playing music and singing, allowing their instruments and voices to echo off of the walls and ceiling. The fountain is a popular photo spot for tourists and brides with their wedding parties. The fountain overlooks the Lake and it is only a short ways away from Loeb Boathouse that offers rowboat and gondola rentals for people to rent and float throughout the magical landscapes of Central Park. To some, the Boathouse is described as combining “the country charm with views of skyscrapers peeking over the trees next to Central Park’s prettiest lake” (NY Times). The park offers visitors many escapes from the chaotic city life through the activities that the park has to offer, by creating a serene oasis situated in one of the busiest cities in the world, making this park a one-of-a-kind spot.

Due to the fact that there is so much to do and to see in the park, the original intentions of the designers to use the park as a place to spend a leisurely and relaxing day walking around has been lost. It feels as if people view Central Park as a destination rather than using it as a journey to venture through for pure enjoyment and relaxation. Although the park’s intended purpose was to provide city dwellers with an urban oasis to wander aimlessly and relax one’s mind, this feeling seems to have been lost. It seems that people come to the park for a purpose, and that purpose is to partake in one of the many activities that the park has to offer; baseball, row boating, bicycle riding, volleyball, rollerblading, horse and buggy rides, and more. What was once a park for strictly walking and freeing the mind of chaos, is no longer present, and visitors are repeatedly distracted by the busyness and events that take place.

There is no shortage of things to do and see in Central Park on a Fall Sunday morning, or on any day for that matter. The Park has an overwhelming amount of activities to partake in, from bike riding, to running the Reservoir, to playing softball on the Great Lawn, to visiting the Central Park Zoo, to attending a show at Shakespeare in the Park, or attending a Summerstage Concert. The tradition of a park solely being a place for leisure time to wonder aimlessly in a space and to relax on park benches has been transformed by the amenities and activities that Central Park has to offer. The Park maintains its history and tradition through the landscape and design of the park, and the statues, plaques, park benches, lampposts and architecture of the park, but it has altered the idea of a traditional park by offering families and individuals with an experience rather than just a destination. This can be viewed as a positive change for many, but there are some who will also argue that this transformation away from its original purpose is not in keeping with Olmsted and Vaux’s original plan and is therefore viewed as a negative evolution.

The Story of Central Park

According to definition, a park is “an area of land set aside for public use, as a piece of land with few or no buildings maintained for recreational and ornamental purposes, and a landscaped city square” (thefreedictionary). New York City is home to over 1,700 parks spread out across the five boroughs, but only a few of those have gained the global fame of becoming more than just a public space for recreation, but rather a cultural and social hotspot. Central Park is one of these parks. Central Park has proved to be more than a traditional park, providing the public with a place to walk and to sit and relax and enjoy an afternoon off, but it has transformed what the idea of a traditional park is in society. Central Park has emerged as a tourist attraction, as well as a historic site in New York City by creating a public space brimming with history, and specifically a place full of recreational activities for locals and tourists alike. At first, what appeared to be a space fulfilling a need to escape the noise and craziness of city life in the early 19^th century, quickly evolved into a space full of culture through the media events and recreational activities that the park has to offer.

In the years between 1821 and 1855, the population of New York City nearly quadrupled, and as the city became more and more populous, people were yearning for places distanced from the chaos of city life, in order to enjoy the quietness of open spaces. Unfortunately, there were very few open public spaces at the time, and the need for parks and public space was becoming more evident in society. In 1844, poet, and then editor of the Evening Post, William Cullen Bryant, and architect Andrew Jackson Downing took the initiative to publicize New York City’s need for a public park. In 1853, the New York legislature came to the agreement that the city was in need of a park, and settled upon 700 acres of land for a cost of $5 million, ranging from 59^th Street to 106^th, the home of this new city park. The state then appointed a Central Park Commission to oversee the park’s development, and held a landscape design contest in 1857, which Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s design, known as the Greensward Plan, won. Olmsted explained how the new park was “of great importance as the first real park made in this country—a democratic development of the highest significance” (Scobey). This park had the potential to be a monumental establishment in the city, and Olmstead and Vaux knew they had to create a park that impressed the general public as well as the city of New York.

Inspired by the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, and by Hyde Park in London, the Greensward Plan incorporated influences from landscapes around the world, in order to create a park situated in the heart of New York City. Because the park was situated in a busy commercial area, crosstown commercial traffic was completely concealed due to transverses and beautifully dense plants and shrubs, maintaining a rustic and natural landscape and environment. The park was set to stand apart from others by creating separate pathways for pedestrians, horseback riders and vehicles. The park was situated in the hub of the city, and the “central” part of New York, hence giving way to the name “Central Park.” Central Park’s plan incorporated thirty-six bridges that Vaux designed, paths lined with elm trees leading up to a centerpiece, the Bethesda Fountain. The vision for the park was limitless, and as Olmstead and Vaux envisioned, it was “a public pleasure-ground…for certain definite purposes—it is for the convenience, enjoyment, and recreation of the largest number” (New York Times). It was a place designed for the people of the city, but before the park could be built, the land would have to be cleared, leaving many inhabitants, being primarily poor and free African Americans and Irish immigrants who resided in small villages on the park’s land such as Seneca Village. Approximately 1,600 residents who resided in the park were forced to leave, making room for Central Park.

Bethesda Fountain

After Central Park’s completion in 1873, the park suddenly slipped into decline. One reason for the decline was the lack of interest by the largest political force in New York at the time, the Tammany Hall political machine. At the turn of the 20^th century, the park encountered many new changes and challenges due to the growth of cars creating more pollution to the city. People were also changing as well. Parks were no longer viewed solely as places to walk and spend time in a peaceful environment. In addition, the upkeep of Central Park began to lack, resulting in vandalism and the lack of maintenance to upkeep the park. In an early New York Times article published in 1908, one resident writes, “Central Park is a disgrace…it is filled with rubbish and with papers. The benches are broken and sadly in need of a new coat of paint” (New York Times). The park was falling apart, and it needed someone to take charge and to bring the park back to life making it better than ever. In the early 1930’s, the new mayor, Fiorello La Guardia was elected into office, appointing Robert Moses in charge of transforming and refurbishing the park. Moses quickly turned the park around and transformed the park into a space that promoted recreational activities and sports.

Moses gave new meaning to the word “park” making it a place for people to engage in social activities, by creating nineteen playgrounds, twelve baseball fields, handball courts, and much more. Central Park served a purpose in the city, and that was not by being a typical park. Central Park was innovative and had the potential to be a social and cultural center, and Moses helped make this vision transform into a reality. Through Central Park’s unique approach to a public park, Central Park was able to not only be a place for people to wander aimlessly along the paths of the park, but they were able to provide New Yorkers and tourists with a place to partake in social and recreational activities in an environment that did not feel like typical city life in a hectic and chaotic setting. The park, although located in the heart of New York City, was peaceful and beautiful, and quickly became an oasis and escape of the crazy city life of New Yorkers.

                                                Works Cited

Central Park. “History.” Central Park. Greensward Group, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://www.centralpark.com/guide/history.html&gt;.

The Free Dictionary. “Park.” The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Park&gt;.

New York Times. “Central Park.” New York Times [New York] 9 Mar. 1872: n. pag. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=980DE3DB1739EF34BC4153DFB5668389669FDE&gt;.

– – -. “Central Park: A Set of Remedies Proposed for it’s Wasted Condition.” New York Times [New York] 17 July 2008: n. pag. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C06E1D6153EE233A25754C1A9619C946997D6CF&gt;.

Scobey, David M. Can A City Be Planned. Philadelphia: Temple University, 2003. Temple Edu. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://www.temple.edu/tempress/chapters/714_ch1.pdf&gt;.

Waxman, Sarah. “The History of Central Park.” ny.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ny.com/articles/centralpark.html&gt;.