 Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States. Advocates of creating the park - primarily wealthy merchants and landowners - admired the public grounds of London and Paris and insisted that New York needed a comparable facility to establish its international reputation. A public park, they argued, would offer their own families an attractive setting for carriage rides and provide working-class New Yorkers with a healthy leisure alternative to drinking in saloons. After years of debate over the location, construction finally began in 1857 and in the winter of 1858 the park's first area was opened to the public. It was not until the early 20th century, however, that the park became easily accessible to working class families who lived downtown and many playgrounds were opened for their children to play in.
As the park became less and less an elite oasis and was shaped more and more by the needs of the growing population of New York City, its uses evolved and expanded. By the middle of the century, ball clubs were allowed to play in the park and the "Please Keep of the Grass" signs which had dotted the lush meadows were a thing of the past. In the 1960s and 70s, despite the park's growing use for concerts and rallies, general maintenance fell by the wayside. During the early 1980s there was a massive attempt to involve New Yorkers in the upkeep of their beloved park, including the "You Gotta Have a Park" campaign. Today, as the major site of most New Yorkers' recreation, the park hosts millions of visitors yearly engaging in such activities as roller blading, fine dining at the Tavern on the Green, watching free performances of Shakespeare in the Park, and relaxing and sunbathing in Sheep's Meadow. |
