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| Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic) (468772) | |||
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Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic) |
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Posted by Michael549 on Mon Jul 30 20:49:26 2007, in response to Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic), posted by BrooklynBus on Mon Jul 30 19:13:20 2007. From a previous message:"I believe he (Robert Moses) was the first City Parks Commissioner. Before him, each borough had its own department and I doubt if they did anything at all between 1811 to the 1930's, probably just maintained the few parks the city had." Your knowledge of New York City history needs updating. While in the early years, New York City (then soley on the island of Manhattan) had a small number of parks, the city fathers saw the need for a large urban park. The 1811 Street Grid plan did not provide for many parks. The first proposals for what would become Central Park started in 1851, in the then sparsely inhabited region far above the Croton Reservoir on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. Frederick Law Olmstead, co-designer with Calvert Vaux of the winning design, was appointed Superintendent of the park in 1857. He accepted no kickbacks from the Park workforce, and kept local politicians at arm's length. Central Park, built between 1857 and 1860, was one of the earliest and largest urban park in America, and a handsome example of 19-century romantic landscape architecture. Frederick Law Olmstead and with Calvert Vaux also designed and built Riverside Park in Manhattan. Calvert Vaux would go on to design Prospect Park, then in the city of Brooklyn in 1865. Frederick Law Olmstead supervised construction until its completion in 1868. The team would also go on to design and build Eastern Parkway (1868-1874) and the Ocean Parkway (1869-1870). and other public spaces in Brooklyn. It goes without saying that the Bronx (then a part of Westchester), Queens and Staten Island were sparsely populated and not a part of New York City in the period 1811-1850's. Frederick Law Olmstead and with Calvert Vaux also designed Riverside Park in Manhattan. Upon realizing the results of these efforts a group of citizens formed the New York Park Association in 1881, and by 1888 their efforts led to legislation authorizing six new parks and four parkways. In 1985, the first municipal golf course was opened in Van Cortlandt Park. In 1903, one of the first playgrounds in Seward Park was opened. Of course it is well known that the five boroughs of New York City were consolidated in 1898, at which time each borough had their own Department of Parks. Yes, Robert Moses was the first Parks Commissioner in 1934, and consolidated the separate borough departments. Of course a growing city has more needs than a smaller city, as cities grow there are needs for a variety of city facilities. Mike |
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