Morningside Parks Origins

Have a look at this picture. 

It’s taken from the top of the hill at Columbia, looking down onto what was to become Morningside Park. It’s from 1889.  Isn’t it amazing to think that parts of the urban landscape that we take to be permanent were, in fact, created? It’s easy to believe that our parks are small pockets of the original Manhattan, and that the city has grown up around them. 

The Board of Commissioners rejected an 1871 design for Morningside by Parks Engineer-in Chief M.A. Kellogg and an 1873 plan by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the co-designers of Central and Prospect Parks. In 1880, the Board hired Architect Jacob Wrey Mould to rework Olmsted and Vaux's plans. Mould designed the promenade and buttressed masonry wall that encloses the park along Morningside Drive. Although a construction contract was awarded in 1883, Mould died in 1886 before the work was completed. Fourteen years after rejecting their original proposal, the Board hired Olmsted and Vaux to continue improvements to Morningside Park. The architects planted vegetation tolerant of the dry, rocky soil and created two paths, one broad, one meandering, to cross the lower portion of the park.

Retained as a consultant, Vaux saw the work to completion in 1895, the year he died from drowning. Parks Superintendent Samuel Parsons Jr. wrote of Vaux's work, “...perhaps Morningside Park was the most consummate piece of art that he had ever created.” (BR/ER)

Mural Artist Call

DEADLINE: Sunday, March 16, 2025

All interested artists are eligible to submit past work examples in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the opportunity to be selected to develop and install temporary murals. Artwork will remain installed for a minimum of one month and a maximum of 11 months. Projects commissioned through this RFQ will be site-specific and installed on NYC DOT property as selected by NYC DOT Art. Projects will be funded and managed by NYC DOT Art. Mural sites may include Asphalt Art Activations, Barrier Beautification, or Special Projects including wall murals and other site types.

For more info and to submit see here:

Community Board Application Deadline Extended to March 7

The office of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has extended the deadline to apply to be a member of one of Manhattan’s 12 community boards. They are composed of 50 volunteer members serving staggered two-year terms – thus, 25 members are appointed (or reappointed) each year.

Community boards consider a wide range of issues, including distribution of liquor licenses, consideration of sidewalk café applications, and permits for street fairs and other outdoor events. They may also weigh in issues before the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals (the city agency dedicated to land-use and zoning regulation), and provide input on proposals from city agencies. Learn more and apply here: