Though the land that is now Bryant Park was set-aside in 1686 as a public space, it became designated as Bryant Park in 1884. The site was originally a potter’s field, or a cemetery for the poor. After being a cemetery, the site held a reservoir, which helped supply the city with water. The site was originally called Reservoir Square in honor of the reservoir. However, it was later destroyed when the park was chosen as a site for the New York Public Library in 1899 and Bryant Park was truly born. The new name was chosen as a way to honor William Cullen Bryant who was not only a popular poet but also a famous abolitionist. The library was built for free from the Tilden Trust and is still part of the site to this day. Though Bryant Park was closely associated with a famous New York landmark, the park eventually became known as an unsavory part of the city. After being redesigned in 1934, the park became a crime-ridden area and was generally unsafe. However, a renovation of the New York Public library helped prompt another redesign in the early 1980s. This overhaul of the park completely changed the landscape of the park and added new amenities. The park was also privatized during this time period and is now controlled by the Bryant Park Corporation. The privatization of the park allowed some the new redesigns because it was important for local businesses to save the park. The park is now a safe, celebrated part of New York that has numerous events and attractions. The park even got wifi in 2002 making it the first wireless park in New York City.
The redesigned Bryant Park is a delightful destination for any busy urbanite. Located in downtown Manhattan, the 9,600 acre park is a breath of fresh air from the bustling city atmosphere. B...
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...enovating the library, the park itself went through an overhaul. The landscape architecture firm Hanna and Olin headed the landscape part of the redesign. Their vision included returning the park to street level and generally opening it up to the public to increase safety. Not only did the landscape of Bryant Park change, but also new amenities and attractions were put in place to make the park popular again. This included adding new statues while fixing up old ones, renovating bathrooms, adding new gardens and generally making the site more attractive. Some of the most popular changes has been a new café and flexible seating which make it an attractive lunch-time spot. The new and improved Bryant Park reopened in 1992 to much praise. Since the redesign, crime has dropped significantly and the park has become a popular destination for both tourists and New Yorkers.
Second of all, the designers incorporated the Baltimore skyline with its open style “park” as opposed to the bowl style prevalent in the 1970’s.
Baseball is one of the world's greatest sports and is played almost everywhere in the world. It is also one of the most historic games. The main historic part of baseball deals with the ballparks, the cities, and the teams that have been around for such a long time. Then you have the one and only Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park is the longest standing and is still being used of all the Major League ballparks in the United States. Throughout the 100 years of Fenway Park's existence it has been built, named, burned down, rebuilt, and a whole lot of adding on to the ballpark.
In 1971, the Chicago Bears began to play in Soldier Field. The founder of the Chicago Bears, George Halas, never thought Soldier Field would be the permanent field for the Bears. Later in the 1970’s, George Halas announced the team would look into building a stadium in Arlington Heights. “Chicago Mayor Richard Daley stated the team would need to change their name to the ‘Arlington Heights Bears,’ should they move to the suburbs” (Roy Taylor). George Halas was a business man and if the Chicago Bears were...
Hines’ article, though not possessing a clear purpose, provides a thorough history of the entire Elysian Park Heights project. He summarizes Chavez Ravine, the architects and their vision, and the downfall of the project due to fears of socialism and a desire for baseball. Hines’ writing effectively triggers a number of emotions, mainly anger and shock that the situation took place. While he provides no introduction to the reader, by the conclusion, Hines definitely provides reason for response.
Real estate boomed around the park in the late 19th century following its completion. The park underwent a number of redevelopments in the late 1800s and early 1990s as well, adding neoclassical buildings and a memorial to French General Marquis de la Fayette. In 1934, Robert Moses, the powerful yet controversial commissioners of parks in the city, made his mark on Prospect Park by creating new playgrounds, a bandshell and the Prospect Park Zoo.
Riverbank, a large city, has a district with a huge problem. Grant’s Valley, although booming with business, is a quaint and historic part of Riverbank that the residents want to keep that way. The business aspect of Grant’s Valley has an ever growing need for more space for tourists to park and there is just too much traffic for the area to withstand. Riverbank’s historically quaint Grant’s Valley would benefit from the destruction of the unused junior-high on 35th and Princeton and the new construction of a one hundred space parking lot and a new park. This would attract more people and lessen the unattractive curb appeal of the parking lot in the residential area of Grant’s Valley that the residents want
As highlighted by William Jordy in his book American Building and their architects: first, the placing of the central courtyard in a library hindered communication between the different sections of the library. Second, although the courted building allowed for wider stacking systems (a maximum width of 40 feet) and windows, McKim could not leverage this advantage, since smaller windows needed to be placed around the stacks as a “precaution against large scale conflagration.” Third, the random placement of ancillary rooms for special collection, the lecture hall, toilets stacking system, and lockers to fit into the main building program, appear to have little consideration for their utility
The Arch is the tallest man made monument in the United States, the only monument taller than the Arch is the Eiffel Tower. The Arch was built out of stainless steel and concrete, there are 142 sections or what looks like panels from the ground of the stainless steel pieces. One could not pick up the Gateway Arch if they tried as it weighs 43,000 tons! The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is actually 91 acres which includes roughly 60 acres of Arch grounds and the remaining acres include the Old Courthouse and some of the surrounding streets. This area corresponds with the original site of the French colonial town of St. Louis which is considered the oldest European city in the Midwest. It was decided to create the park here due to St. Louis’s major role in Westward Expansion, as I have mentioned before. Some of the key events that involved St. Louis in what would eventually become the expansion of the United States to what we all know it as today are as follows. St. Louis is the place where the Santa Fe and the Organ Trails originated, and the place were Lewis and Clark started their exploration, and where formal possession of the Louisiana Purchase was taken. These are just some of the fun facts I learned about the Arch on my
Times Square finds itself in a city whose complexity in culture and spontaneity in character, often leaving its visitors as mere spectators, contrasts sharply with the perspective of an organized tourist industry. However, the creation of some destinations from scratch, completely repurposed districts, and the organization of the chaotic life in New York into something safe and consumable have no doubt made Times Square a place to visit as well as ridding it of many neg...
The form of park that came about to end this search was the amusement park, and the most well known of these amusement parks was Coney Island. The major reason this type of park was so successful was because of all it did for society. One thing it did was raise post office restrictions on the mailing of picture postcards since so many people wanted to mail family and friends to show them how much fun they were having. Coney Island was also like a safe-haven for immigrants. Here everyone was kind and there were lots of things to be done so it was a good way for the new residences of the country to experience America. This boost in immigration also gave the country a greater ethnic diversity. The fact the park had such a liberating social setting also brought about changes in fashion, and sexual expression. The rides provided the right scenes for couples to express their love for each other in public more often, and as a result this public display of affection became more accepted. The beaches also gave society a more accepting ideology to the thought of more revealing clothing.
Without a doubt, Times Square in New York City is a unique experience, but the image created by TV and movies does not show the gloominess that accompanies the euphoria of being in the Big Apple. The atmosphere is so exhilarating and exciting, you don’t even know what to do for a few minutes, but it is tinged with the bitter reality that sadness and melancholy also trail closely behind the positive. With most, if not all, of your senses being stimulated – sometimes all at once – Times Square creates a memory that will surely be cherished, and haunt you for the rest of your life.
Central Park is one of the most beautiful landmarks in New York City. You’re probably thinking a park, so swings and slides and such? You’re correct, but very wrong at the same time. Central Park covers
...famous architects, proposed to demolished and replaced with an underground car park which serves with a city square. This proposal simulated serious debate, as some company considered building hotel on the site, council department was thinking of moving in and out, etc.
Millennium Park doesn't just take from the city of Chicago, it also gives back. It holds over 500 free events every year. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion concerts are free on the lawn of the park, specialty membership seats in the Pavilion rage from $25-$85, bringing in revenue for the park and the artists. The Park brings in additional revenue for Chicago in a variety of ways. Not only does it encourage people to use public transportation like the Metra for events in the Park, but it also draws people to nearby attractions such as The Art Institute of Chicago's new Modern Wing, which is conveniently located right next to the Park’s famous Lurie Garden. The BP Pedestrian Bridge links Millennium park to the new Maggie Daley Park, which attracts tourists to both locations. Revenue from private events in the Park brings in additional funds. In 2013 alone, private events in Millennium Park brought in $637,000. In addition to bringing people to other city ventures and resources, Millennium Park certainly brings in attraction to new real estate business. A simple condominium with views of Millennium Park was estimated to cost 29% more than neighbouring reality. Just in the last four years, ten new condominium projects, containing 3,600 units, are being constructed along the
If there are more people, more, density, and a good mixture of uses, it will be a safer city... You cannot find a single city that does not wish to make the city center more vibrant or livelier.” This quote from Jan Gehl, the principal of Gehl Architects, illustrates the importance of having a sustainable city. The Central Park project has showcased to the world on how the landscape we design or occupy, can affect our daily activities and surrounding neighborhood. It sets an example of how design must be appreciated as a crucial factor in sustainability and emphasized on the fact the connection of people and nature should not be ignored. All in all, landscape architects are the ones to determine the physical characteristics of the public realm environment, to decide whether a city is attractive to people and whether people will choose to live in the city in the long