Seward Park offers a few acres of green space to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Located north of East Broadway and east of Essex Street, the park offers visitors a shady relief to the hustle and bustle of the big old city. The park, named after New York Senator William Henry Seward (1801-1872), was the very first municipally ran playground in the U.S. and a model for many others. With an opulent past and plenty of room to play, Seward Park Manhattan is probably one of the Lower East Side's treasures.
In the late 1890s the Outdoor Recreation League (ORL) worked to bring arranged games to public playing areas. The ORL was instrumental in creating play areas in municipal parks and is crucial to history of Seward Park.
In 1897, the land that would one day become Seward Park was obtained by New York City. The ORL transformed the area into a playground, including a children's garden and a running track. Opening on October 17, 1903, the park's other innovations like recreation pavilion and gymnastic equipment, marble baths, and meeting rooms made it a model for future playing areas across the land.
The history of Seward Park continues in the 1930s and 1940s, when the park underwent a series of transformations. A part of the park's east side was taken over by the New York City goverment and utilised for street purposes. In 1936, the park acquired the Schiff fountain from Rutgers Park. The alteration was finally completed by the addition of horseshoe courts, a basketball court, more playgrounds and an area for roller and an ice skating area.
The 1950s saw more transformations in Seward Park history. As the encompassing Lower East Side neighborhood grew, another section of the park was redeveloped by the city of New York. Many streets were closed and family homes were built to replace tenement buildings.
The prevailing history of Seward Park is marked by a 1999 reconstruction that payed homage to the first ORL plan. The park now features a central oval with a spray shower and map of the Lower East Side, period lighting and furniture, and quotations from local residents spanning the neighborhood's rich history. These changes brought the park the nearest to it's original 1903 appearance. With it's attractive curving paths, playgrounds, sports facilities, plenty of benches, Seward Park is still a favorite place for New Yorkers and visitors alike to play.
In the late 1890s the Outdoor Recreation League (ORL) worked to bring arranged games to public playing areas. The ORL was instrumental in creating play areas in municipal parks and is crucial to history of Seward Park.
In 1897, the land that would one day become Seward Park was obtained by New York City. The ORL transformed the area into a playground, including a children's garden and a running track. Opening on October 17, 1903, the park's other innovations like recreation pavilion and gymnastic equipment, marble baths, and meeting rooms made it a model for future playing areas across the land.
The history of Seward Park continues in the 1930s and 1940s, when the park underwent a series of transformations. A part of the park's east side was taken over by the New York City goverment and utilised for street purposes. In 1936, the park acquired the Schiff fountain from Rutgers Park. The alteration was finally completed by the addition of horseshoe courts, a basketball court, more playgrounds and an area for roller and an ice skating area.
The 1950s saw more transformations in Seward Park history. As the encompassing Lower East Side neighborhood grew, another section of the park was redeveloped by the city of New York. Many streets were closed and family homes were built to replace tenement buildings.
The prevailing history of Seward Park is marked by a 1999 reconstruction that payed homage to the first ORL plan. The park now features a central oval with a spray shower and map of the Lower East Side, period lighting and furniture, and quotations from local residents spanning the neighborhood's rich history. These changes brought the park the nearest to it's original 1903 appearance. With it's attractive curving paths, playgrounds, sports facilities, plenty of benches, Seward Park is still a favorite place for New Yorkers and visitors alike to play.
About the Author:
Jeff Myers has been interested in NYC Parks like Seward park for many years. Myers has written many articles about New York City parks, including the top most interesting facts and brief histories. For more information, please visit his site.
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