Description of a plan for the improvement of the Central Park — John Shaqi
Description of a plan for the improvement of the Central ParkOlmsted, Frederick Law
History
Description of a plan for the improvement of the Central Park
Olmsted, Frederick Law
Central Park (New York, N.Y.)
On the space originally provided for a sidewalk on the park side of
the streets and avenues, there will, in any case, be room for such
a line of trees as we have proposed. The continuous exterior mall
should by no means be given up, even though it cannot be made in all
parts as wide as we have proposed. At many points, and frequently for
quite long distances, it will form an elevated terrace, commanding
extensive views over the park, of the most interesting character, and
a mere parapet-wall three or four feet high, will, in such cases, be
all-sufficient for the safety of promenaders and the protection of the
park from interlopers.
[Sidenote: Fifth avenue entrance.]
The finest approach from the city is certain to be along the Fifth
avenue, and it has been thought necessary to view with special care
the angle of the park first reached from this direction, because it
will be generally felt that immediate entrance should be had at this
point.[5]
[5] NOTE, 1868.—We submitted a plan for a much needed amplification in
this approach during the earlier stage of the work, but the suggestion
has not yet been acted on.
The grade of the avenue has been established so high that considerable
filling-in would be required to avoid a rapid descent, but directly
this single difficulty is overcome, the ground beyond has great
advantages for the purpose of a dignified entrance to the park. A
massive rock that will be found in connection with this requisite
made-ground, offers a sufficiently large natural object to occupy
the attention, and will at once reduce the artificial feature to a
position of minor importance. If, next, we stand upon that portion
of the rock which (a little north of the large cherry-tree) is at
grade-height, we find that there is another rocky hillock within a
short distance, in the direction a visitor to the park would most
naturally pursue—that is to say, towards the centre of the park. This
can be easily reached by slightly raising the intermediate ground; by
then sweeping to the right, the natural conformation of the surface
offers an easy ascent (by the existing cart-way over Sixty-Third
street) to a plateau (two rods west of the powder-house), directly
connected with the extensive table-land which occupies the centre of
the lower half of the park.
From this plateau (now occupied mainly by the nursery) a view is had
of nearly all the park up to the Reservoir, in a northerly direction;
and on looking to the south and west, we perceive that there are
natural approaches from these directions, which suggest that we have
arrived at a suitable point of concentration for all approaches which
may be made from the lower part of the city to the interior of the
park.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: The Avenue.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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