Greenacre Park
Greenacre Park is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. The Park is privately-owned and maintained by the Greenacre Foundation. Greenacre Park was founded by Abby Rockefeller and was established in 1971. The Park provides a tranquil environment ideal for relaxation and escapes from the hectic city life. Access to nature by urban residents is a biological necessity that is lacking in many cities. Therefore, Greenacre Park should be reserved for environmental, health, and historical benefits.
About Greenacre Park
Greenacre Park is a privately-owned vest-pocket park in Manhattan, New York City. The Park is owned and privately maintained by Greenacre Foundation (Greenacre Park). Greenacre Park is located on 217 East 51st Street, between Second and Third Avenue in Turtle Bay, Manhattan. Greenacre Park was established in 1971, and it is made from three lots, which were initially occupied by a store, part of a synagogue, and a garage. The Park is 591 square meters in size, and it features a 7.6m waterfall, a lattice with heat lambs for cold days, movable tables and chairs, and honey locust trees. The Park also has an outdoor café and shady arbors, and it is conveniently located directly on the street, thus quickly attracting people. The trees provide shade during summer, and beautiful light penetrates through the thin-structured trees, thus creating a sense of relaxation to the visitors. Greenacre Park attracts an average of seven hundred visitors in a day.
Activities which are deemed to disrupt the peace and serenity of the Park are also not allowed. Alcoholic beverages, smoking, or commercial photography are not allowed. The Park also prohibits bicycles, skateboards, and scooters or playing of musical instruments (Greenacre Park). Private events and pets are also not allowed. Greenacre Park has no Wi-Fi or restrooms, and tripods and lights are prohibited. The Park is placed on a raised terrace and protected by transparent acrylic vaults and a roof of weathering steel strut. The Park also has luxuriant evergreen plants, ivy walls, and huge urns of beautiful flowers, which alleviate the Park’s beauty and restfulness.
In 2018, Greenacre Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior of the United States (Greenacre Park). Greenacre Park has also received several awards for its extraordinary design and concept. The Park has been honored by several professional organizations such as the New York Society of Architects, and the Pak Council of New York City.
History of Greenacre Park
Greenacre Park was established in 1971 by the Greenacre Foundation. The Park had been founded two years earlier by Abby Rockefeller Mauze, daughter to John D. Rockefeller (Youn, 148). The Park was designed by Hideo Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay Associates, led by Masao Kinoshita, Tom Wirth, and Harmon Goldstone. Hideo Sasaki is a former chairman of the Landscape Architecture Department of Harvard, and Harmon Goldstone was the consultant. Greenacre Park was opened in 1971, and it was a gift from Abby Rockefeller. The Park was formerly occupied by a garage, a store, and part of a synagogue.
In the late 1960s, Abby Rockefeller Mauze wanted to gift the city she had been born and grown in. Abby was inspired by the Paley Park, which was created by Bill Paley, the founder of CBS. In 1980, a campaign was launched to prevent the construction of a planned building, which would have stopped sunlight from penetrating to the Park (Youn, 148). The building was to be constructed on 805 Third Avenue and would have been taller by three stories higher than the recommended height. Sunlight could be restricted from reaching the Park. The Greenacre Foundation launched a campaign to prevent the building from exceeding the recommended height. The campaign successfully curtailed the height of the building,
In 1985, the Greenacre Foundation analyzed all the neighboring sites that could threaten Greenacre Park’s sunlight. Property adjacent to the Park was purchased as a result and later resold with restrictions on its height to protect the northern side of the Park. In 1987, the Durst Organization agreed to put a limit on the heights of its property, which could potentially prevent sunlight from reaching the Park.
In May 2017, there was a city rezoning plan, which would permit the construction of tall buildings near the Park. The plan caused a lot of controversy since (Greenacre Foundation claimed that taller buildings would prevent sunlight from penetrating to the Park Greenacre Park). A study conducted by the Foundation stated that six particular buildings could put the entire Park in total darkness. The Foundation launched a campaign called “Fight for Light,” which advocated for the limitation of heights on the sites where these buildings were to be established.
The “Fight for Light” campaign was also supported by the New Yorkers for Parks, Municipal Art Society, the city chairman, Daniel Garodnick, and Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer. The campaign also persuaded the City Hall to incorporate the protection of Greenacre Park’s sunlight in the new rezoning plan of Midtown East. However, despite the efforts and advocacy of various supporters of the “Fight for Light” campaign, the formal protection for the sunlight of Greenacre Park was omitted from the final rezoning by the City Council (Youn, 148). The Park is privately-owned and maintained by the Greenacre Foundation. The Park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Why Greenacre Park should be preserved
The design of Greenacre Park makes it a luxuriant place for relaxation and recharge or concentrate on some work. The Park, therefore, offers a mental health advantage to its visitors because it provides peace and serenity, and a restoration environment for the brain. The non-visual connection with nature positively impacts mental health and peace and reduces stress hormones. The connection with nature also provides a perceived reduction of blood pressure and heart rate. Park’s tranquillity helps improve concentration and memory restoration. Greenacre Park’s environment also enhances the psychological perception of safety and positive emotional and psychological responses (Greenacre Park). The tranquillity of the Park’s environment also facilitates the productive use of space, including brainstorming, reading, and writing.
Greenacre Park also provides significant environmental benefits to urban residents and nature. The Park helps reduce the urban heat island effect, supporting the migration of birds and improving the quality of air. The Park is an ideal example of innovative solutions to bring nature to the city without compromising other space-related needs. Therefore, Greenacre Park should be reserved for environmental purposes. The Park should also be preserved for the sake of the mental health of urban residents and its ability to provide biophilic needs to the visitors.
In conclusion, Greenacre Park is a privately-owned and maintained pocket park located in Turtle Bay neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. The Park was founded by Abby Rockefeller and established in 1971 by Greenacre Foundation. The Park provides a tranquil environment for relaxation and exploration. The Park also facilitates the migration of birds and helps improve the quality of air in the urban setting. Greenacre Park should, therefore, be preserved for environmental and biophilic benefits.
Works Cited
Youn, Monica. “Greenacre.” New England Review 37.1 (2016): 147-150.
https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Greenacre-Park-Fall16.pdf
https://greenacrepark.org/about/