New York City scenic landmarks
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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), which administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law, has designated 12 scenic landmarks across three New York City boroughs as of 2024[update]. The scenic landmarks include public parks, squares, and parkways operated by the New York City government. The LPC's rules dictate that scenic-landmark status may be granted to sites with "special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value" to New York City, New York state, or the U.S.[1] Seven of the twelve scenic landmarks were designated in the 1970s, and the majority of the sites are in the borough of Manhattan. The first landmark to be designated was Central Park in Manhattan, while the most recent (as of 2024[update]) is Aqueduct Walk in the Bronx.
Background
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City governmental commission that administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law.[2] The commission administers four types of landmarks: individual landmarks, which consist of the exteriors of objects or structures; interior landmarks, which consist of the interiors of structures; scenic landmarks, which include city-owned "parks or other landscape features"; and historic districts, which consist of geographically cohesive collections of buildings with a distinct architectural style.[1] Some landmarks are also on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), a separate program administered by the National Park Service.[3] As of May 2024[update], the LPC has designated 12 scenic landmarks.[4] The LPC's rules allow landmark status to be granted to sites with "a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value" to New York City, New York state, or the U.S.[1]
New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. authorized the LPC to formally designate historic structures as landmarks in April 1965,[5] and the LPC designated its first-ever official landmarks in October 1965.[6] Initially, only historic districts and the exteriors of buildings could be designated as landmarks. In 1973, mayor John Lindsay signed legislation that allowed the LPC to designate sites as scenic and interior landmarks.[7][8][9]
The first scenic-landmark designation to be proposed was that of Central Park in the borough of Manhattan,[10] which was formally designated on April 16, 1974.[11] The LPC approved two additional scenic landmarks in Manhattan that year—Grand Army Plaza on July 23[12] and Bryant Park on November 12.[13] Two more scenic landmarks were added in January 28, 1975: Verdi Square on Manhattan's Upper West Side,[14][15] along with Ocean Parkway, the first scenic landmark in Brooklyn.[14][16] Prospect Park became a scenic landmark on November 25, 1975,[17] followed by Eastern Parkway on August 22, 1978, both of which are in Brooklyn.[18] Riverside Park and the adjacent Riverside Drive on Manhattan's Upper West Side were designated as a single scenic landmark on February 19, 1980.[19][20] After Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, Manhattan, was granted landmark status on September 20, 1983,[21] no more scenic landmarks were designated for another 25 years.[22][23]
As of 2024[update], three scenic landmarks have been designated in the 21st century.[24][25] Morningside Park, straddling the Morningside Heights and Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, was designated a New York City landmark on July 15, 2008.[26][27] The LPC also named the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, as a landmark on May 15, 2018,[28][29] after previously refusing to give landmark protection to the boardwalk.[30] On April 16, 2024, Aqueduct Walk was designated as the first official scenic landmark in the borough of the Bronx.[31] The designation of Aqueduct Walk coincided with the 50th anniversary of the LPC's first scenic landmark designation.[32][33]
Scenic landmarks
| Landmark name | Image | Date listed[a][b] | Location[b] | Borough | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Park |  |
Bounded by 40th Street, Sixth Avenue, 42nd Street, and Fifth Avenue 40°45′14″N 73°59′01″W / 40.7538°N 73.9836°W | Manhattan | A 9.6-acre (3.9 ha) park named after the journalist William Cullen Bryant[34] and dating from 1847.[35] | |
| Central Park |  |
Bounded by 59th Street, Eighth Avenue, 110th Street, and Fifth Avenue 40°46′57″N 73°57′58″W / 40.7825°N 73.9661°W | Manhattan | An 843-acre (341 ha) park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as the United States' first large landscaped park.[36] It was completed in 1876.[37] | |
| Coney Island (Riegelmann) Boardwalk |  |
Running from West 37th Street to Brighton 14th Street 40°34′24″N 73°58′43″W / 40.5733°N 73.9787°W | Brooklyn | A 2.7-mile (4.3 km) wooden boardwalk on the Coney Island shorefront, constructed from 1922 to 1941.[29] | |
| Eastern Parkway |  |
Running from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Avenue 40°40′11″N 73°56′50″W / 40.6698°N 73.9473°W | Brooklyn | A 3.8-mile-long (6.1 km),[38] tree-lined parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.[39][18] It was completed in 1873 and extends eastward from Prospect Park.[18] | |
| Fort Tryon Park |  |
Roughly bounded by Dyckman Street, Broadway, Cabrini Boulevard, 190th Street, and Henry Hudson Parkway 40°51′48″N 73°55′56″W / 40.8634°N 73.9322°W | Manhattan | A 67-acre (27 ha) park on a ridge in Upper Manhattan, designated as a park in 1931.[40] | |
| Grand Army Plaza | .jpg) |
Bounded by Fifth Avenue, 58th Street, Grand Army Plaza West, and 60th Street 40°45′53″N 73°58′23″W / 40.7647°N 73.9731°W | Manhattan | A 0.62-acre (0.25 ha) plaza,[41] designed by Carrère & Hastings and completed in 1916 at the southeastern corner of Central Park.[42] | |
| Morningside Park | _-_2.JPG) |
Bounded by Morningside Drive, Amsterdam Avenue, 123rd Street, Morningside Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, and 110th Street 40°48′23″N 73°57′31″W / 40.8063°N 73.9585°W | Manhattan | A 30-acre (12 ha) park along a natural bluff in Upper Manhattan,[43] designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.[26] It was completed in 1895.[43] | |
| Ocean Parkway |  |
Running from Church Avenue to Sea Breeze Avenue 40°36′53″N 73°58′07″W / 40.6146°N 73.9686°W | Brooklyn | A 5-mile (8.0 km),[44] tree-lined parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.[39][45] It was completed in 1876 and extends southward from Prospect Park.[45] | |
| Old Croton Aqueduct Walk |  |
Running from 179th Street to Kingsbridge Road 40°51′45″N 73°54′15″W / 40.8626°N 73.9042°W | The Bronx | A 4.9-mile (7.9 km) linear park along the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct, operating as a park since 1930.[32] | |
| Prospect Park |  |
Bounded by Prospect Park Southwest, Prospect Park West, Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Avenue, and Parkside Avenue 40°39′45″N 73°58′10″W / 40.6624°N 73.9694°W | Brooklyn | A 526-acre (213 ha) park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.[46] It was substantially completed in 1873.[47] | |
| Riverside Park and Riverside Drive |  |
Bounded by 72nd Street, the Hudson River, St. Clair Place, and the easternmost roadway of Riverside Drive 40°48′01″N 73°58′25″W / 40.8002°N 73.9737°W | Manhattan | Riverside Park, and Riverside Drive at its eastern border, were both designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux starting in the 1870s.[46] The original park covers 191 acres (77 ha)[48] and was redesigned and expanded in the 1930s.[46] | |
| Verdi Square | .jpg) |
Bounded by Broadway, 73rd Street, Amsterdam Avenue, and 72nd Street 40°46′45″N 73°58′54″W / 40.7791°N 73.9816°W | Manhattan | A 0.10-acre (0.040 ha),[49] triangular park created in 1906 and named for the composer Giuseppe Verdi, with a statue of him at the center.[50] |
Notes
- ^ The number below each date is the number assigned to each location by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The landmark designation report can be viewed by clicking the number.
- ^ a b For an interactive map, refer to "Discover New York City Landmarks". New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission – via ArcGIS.
References
- ^ a b c "Landmark Types and Criteria". New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ^ "Rules of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Title 63, Rules of the City of New York" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. January 22, 2019. p. 2. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Landmark Designation". New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Government of New York City. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "About LPC". New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Ennis, Thomas W. (April 20, 1965). "Landmarks Bill Signed by Mayor; Wagner Approves It Despite Protests of Realty Men". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Fowle, Farnsworth (October 18, 1965). "First Official Landmarks of City Designated; 20 Sites Listed — Each to Get Year's Grace". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "New York City Landmarks Law". NYPAP. May 7, 1964. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Metropolitan Briefs; Lindsay Signs Landmarks Bill". The New York Times. December 18, 1973. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, pp. 1120–1121.
- ^ Carmody, Deirdre (March 27, 1974). "Quietly, Central Park Advances as Landmark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Metropolitan Briefs". The New York Times. April 17, 1974. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Goldberger, Paul (July 24, 1974). "Carnegie Hill Areas at 5th Ave. Designated a Historic District". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Carroll, Maurice (November 14, 1974). "3 New Sorts of Landmarks Designated in City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Shawn G. (January 29, 1975). "Ocean Parkway Gets Landmark Designation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Verdi Square Now a Landmark". New York Daily News. January 29, 1975. p. 7. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Toscano, John (January 29, 1975). "Designate Parkway A Scenic Landmark". Daily News. p. 247. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Landmark Status Voted For 5 Places in City". The New York Times. November 26, 1975. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 232.
- ^ Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, pp. 244–245.
- ^ Fowler, Glenn (February 20, 1980). "Riverside Drive and Park Now Landmark; Park Vote Unanimous Constricted in 1901". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 625.
- ^ Chan, Sewell (August 15, 2016). "Former S.I. Butcher Shop Is Now a Landmark". City Room. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 10.
- ^ Custodio, Jonathan (May 3, 2024). "Old Croton Aqueduct Becomes The Bronx's First-Ever Scenic Landmark". The City. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "LPC Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Scenic Landmarks" (Press release). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. April 16, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 239.
- ^ Chan, Sewell (July 17, 2008). "New Landmarks for New York City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Durkin, Erin (May 15, 2018). "Coney Island Boardwalk dubbed official city landmark on 95th birthday". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "NYC Designates Coney Island Boardwalk a Scenic Landmark". WNBC. May 15, 2018. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020.
- ^ Hansen, Matt (April 27, 2015). "Concrete? Coney Island fans say only wood will do for their beloved boardwalk". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015.
- ^ "Landmarks Designates the Old Croton Aqueduct Walk as the Bronx's First Scenic Landmark". CityLand. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Swanson, Emily (April 22, 2024). "Old Croton Aqueduct Walk receives Bronx's first scenic landmark designation – Bronx Times". Bronx Times. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Moloney, Síle (April 19, 2024). "LPC Designates Aqueduct Walk as Bronx's First Scenic Landmark in Unanimous Vote". Norwood News – Serving Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Sagalyn, Lynne B. (2023). Times Square Remade: The Dynamics of Urban Change. MIT Press. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-262-37632-7. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Favoring the Name Bryant Park". The New York Times. March 9, 1884. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Van Buren, Alex (January 27, 2016). "12 Secrets of New York's Central Park". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Dorceta E. (2009). "section 3". The Environment and the People in American Cities, 1600s–1900s: Disorder, Inequality, and Social Change. Duke University Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-8223-4451-3.
- ^ "Eastern Parkway". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Goldberger, Paul (November 14, 1986). "Brooklyn's Best and Brightest; A Borough Filled With Brilliant Gems of Urban Architecture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Fort Tryon Park". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ "Grand Army Plaza". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Pogrebin, Robin (June 24, 2013). "Shaping a Plaza's Next Century". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "Morningside Park Highlights". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. May 13, 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Dwyer, Jim (March 28, 2017). "Vision Zero Has Made Ocean Parkway Safer, but Some See Red". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 241.
- ^ a b c Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, pp. 214–215.
- ^ Ruggiero, Nina (October 19, 2014). "Secrets of Prospect Park". amNewYork. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Riverside Park". National Park Service. October 27, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Verdi Square Highlights". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Diamonstein-Spielvogel 2011, p. 458.
Sources
- Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Barbaralee (2011). The Landmarks of New York (5th ed.). Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-3769-9.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1995). New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN 1-885254-02-4. OCLC 32159240. OL 1130718M.