St. Nicholas Park

Description

Saint Nicholas Park is a New York City public park located in Harlem at the intersection of Manhattan neighborhoods Hamilton Heights and Manhattanville. The nearly 23acre park is contained by 141st Street to the north, 128th Street to the south, St. Nicholas Terrace to the west, and St. Nicholas Avenue to the east.HistoryThe park was created in 1895, when the first land for the park was acquired upon the condemnation of the Croton Aqueduct. After additional property was acquired, construction on the park began in 1906. Like the streets on its eastern and western borders, the park was named after St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Amsterdam whose likeness adorned one of the ships that brought the first Dutch settlers to New Amsterdam. Parks Commissioner Samuel Parsons designed the park himself. The park next expanded in 1909, when the park's southern boundary was extended to 128th Street. In 1931, a playground opened along 129th Street. A new playground was erected on this site in 1965.