Riverside Park - New York, NY

Riverside Park provides a valuable service in the contribution to the quality of life in New York City. The park allows for free public access to the Hudson River waterfront. This is despite of the existence of the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway that spans the length of riverfront on the west side of Manhattan. However, the park has been successfully created on a long, narrow stretch of land on both sides of the highway. Over time, access to the river has been added to the park's boundaries, as it was not in its initial form. It is also another prime example of the revitalization of the New York City park system and the city itself. Riverside Park is now a prime destination on the Upper West Side, one of the most desired locales in the city.

The first segment of the park was acquired through condemnation of land in 1872. The conceptual idea for the park was drawn by Frederick Law Olmsted, and a series of designers were given the task of incorporating and refining his ideas into reality. It was a slow-moving process, but work was completed on a large stretch of the park, from 72nd St. to 125th St. by 1910. As is the story with many grand parks in New York City, it started out as a success but eventually suffered years of decline and neglect. This trajectory coincided with the fortunes of New York and, more specifically, the Upper West Side. As time progressed and the belief in the importance of open space and public access to the waterfront increased, these fortunes changed. Not only was access to the river added to the original design and boundaries, but the park was also expanded southward to 59th Street from the original end line of 72nd Street. The resulting character of the park is one that is quite diverse and and features a few distinct layers that smoothly blend into one another.

Currently, the park is a crucial stretch of the uninterrupted greenway that exists along the Hudson River in Manhattan. The trail on the western edge of the park is an attraction in its own right, but also only a part of the park. The majority of it exists as a downhill-sloping green space from the residential neighborhoods of the Upper West Side to the Hudson River. Meandering stairways and walkways lined with grand landscaping and monuments make up its character. The current state of the park also greatly benefits from a nonprofit partner organization called the Riverside Park Fund The Fund has over over 4,000 members and a budget of over $2 million dedicated to general park improvements such as landscaping and park facilities.

Riverside Park is now a prime destination and selling point on the Upper West Side. This is in contrast to an era in which it was once neglected and though of as an area to avoid. If viewed in that manner, it's story is not that much different from the majority of Manhattan, which is home to some America's most crucial open space.