Bryant Park, named after William Cullen Bryant, has had a long and uneven history - a potter's field, Reservoir Park (sharing the block with the Croton Reservoir - future home of the NY Public Library), home of Civil War military drills, the Crystal Palace Exhibition (1853). And it has gone through bleak periods - both in the 1930s and the 1970s it became one of the worst parks in NYC. In the 1970s, the park was essentially dominated by drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless, often referred to as "Needle Park". Click here for a history. In 1992 the park was reopened after a privately funded restoration. With its formal French gardens and crushed stone walkways, it is reminiscent of the Jardin du Luxembourg of Paris. The restoration has been one of the greatest turnaround successes in recent NYC history - the park is frequently cited as an example of how positive transformation can occur even in what appears to be a lost cause. Now the park has restaurants and cafes, kiosks, and free WIFI internet access (click here for more photos.) on Mondays in the summer, HBO sponsors outdoor movies. The park also hosts many other programs and events. Check out the Bryant Park official site ....
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Bryant Park
Bryant Park, named after William Cullen Bryant, has had a long and uneven history - a potter's field, Reservoir Park (sharing the block with the Croton Reservoir - future home of the NY Public Library), home of Civil War military drills, the Crystal Palace Exhibition (1853). And it has gone through bleak periods - both in the 1930s and the 1970s it became one of the worst parks in NYC. In the 1970s, the park was essentially dominated by drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless, often referred to as "Needle Park". Click here for a history. In 1992 the park was reopened after a privately funded restoration. With its formal French gardens and crushed stone walkways, it is reminiscent of the Jardin du Luxembourg of Paris. The restoration has been one of the greatest turnaround successes in recent NYC history - the park is frequently cited as an example of how positive transformation can occur even in what appears to be a lost cause. Now the park has restaurants and cafes, kiosks, and free WIFI internet access (click here for more photos.) on Mondays in the summer, HBO sponsors outdoor movies. The park also hosts many other programs and events. Check out the Bryant Park official site ....
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4 comments:
Merci Brian pour cette visite du Bryant Park. Tes photos sont superbes et me donne envie d'aller m'y reposer.En 2005 j'avais fait Une Video du Bryant.
Wow! This could be Paris as well. I'll have to check this out if I get back over one day.
Love this park - grabbed a "Jamba Juice" (fancy fruit juice combo) from across the road and sat here for hours!
This is the first park I visited when visiting in October 2006. I remember being impressed and by the park's beauty and surprised to find such a wonderful, relaxing green space surrounded by traffic and the busyness of city life.
(As long-time resident of Toronto, I was delighted by the many green spaces throughout Manhattan, in part, because it was so unexpected.)
While I wrote about the experience in my personal travel journal, and later in my blog, I didn't have this historical information, which for me, adds to its appeal.
Thanks!
Valerie
http://durhamregion.typepad.com/people/
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