The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), which administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law, has designated twelve scenic landmarks across three New York City boroughs as of 2024 [update] . The scenic landmarks include public parks, plazas, and parkways operated by the New York City government. The LPC's rules dictate that scenic-landmark status may be granted to sites with "special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value" to New York City, New York state, or the U.S. [1] Seven of the twelve scenic landmarks were designated in the 1970s. The borough of Manhattan has the most scenic landmarks (with seven), while Brooklyn has four scenic landmarks and the Bronx has one. The first landmark to be designated was Central Park in Manhattan, while the most recent (as of 2024 [update] ) is Aqueduct Walk in the Bronx.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City governmental commission that administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. [2] The commission administers four types of landmarks: individual landmarks, interior landmarks, scenic landmarks, and historic districts. [1] [3] Scenic landmarks are city-owned sites with "a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value" to New York City, New York state, or the U.S., [1] which are also at least 30 years old. [4] As of May 2024 [update] , the LPC has designated 12 scenic landmarks. [5] Some landmarks are also on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), a separate program administered by the National Park Service. [6]
New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. authorized the LPC to formally designate historic structures as landmarks in April 1965, [7] and the LPC designated its first-ever official landmarks in October 1965. [8] Initially, only historic districts and the exteriors of buildings could be designated as landmarks. In 1973, mayor John Lindsay signed legislation that allowed the LPC to designate sites as scenic and interior landmarks. [9] [10] [11]
The first scenic-landmark designation to be proposed was that of Central Park in the borough of Manhattan, [12] which was formally designated on April 16, 1974. [13] The LPC approved two additional scenic landmarks in Manhattan that year—Grand Army Plaza on July 23 [14] and Bryant Park on November 12. [15] Two more scenic landmarks were added on January 28, 1975: Verdi Square on Manhattan's Upper West Side, [16] [17] along with Ocean Parkway, the first scenic landmark in Brooklyn. [16] [18] These were followed by two additional landmarks in Brooklyn: Prospect Park became a scenic landmark on November 25, 1975, [19] followed by Eastern Parkway on August 22, 1978. [20] Riverside Park and the adjacent Riverside Drive on Manhattan's Upper West Side were designated as a single scenic landmark on February 19, 1980. [21] [22] After Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, Manhattan, was granted landmark status on September 20, 1983, [23] no more scenic landmarks were designated for another 25 years. [24] [4]
As of 2024 [update] , three scenic landmarks have been designated in the 21st century. [25] [26] Morningside Park, straddling the Morningside Heights and Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, was designated a New York City landmark on July 15, 2008. [27] [28] The LPC also named the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, as a landmark on May 15, 2018, [29] [30] after previously refusing to give landmark protection to the boardwalk. [31] On April 16, 2024, Aqueduct Walk was designated as the first official scenic landmark in the borough of the Bronx. [32] The designation of Aqueduct Walk coincided with the 50th anniversary of the LPC's first scenic landmark designation. [33] [34]
Landmark name | Image | Date listed [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | Location [lower-alpha 2] | Borough | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bryant Park | ![]() | Bounded by 40th Street, Sixth Avenue, 42nd Street, and the western facade of the New York Public Library Main Branch 40°45′14″N73°59′01″W / 40.7538°N 73.9836°W | Manhattan | A 9.6-acre (3.9 ha) park named after the journalist William Cullen Bryant [35] and dating from 1847. [36] The park contains a rectangular lawn surrounded by shaded walkways. [37] | |
Central Park | Bounded by 59th Street, Eighth Avenue, 110th Street, and Fifth Avenue 40°46′57″N73°57′58″W / 40.7825°N 73.9661°W | Manhattan | An 843-acre (341 ha) park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as the United States' first large landscaped park, [38] [39] it was completed in 1876. [40] The park contains landscape features such as lakes and woodlands, in addition to artistic and architectural elements such as gates, bridges, and sculptures. A network of paths meanders through the landscape. [38] | ||
Coney Island (Riegelmann) Boardwalk | ![]() | Running from West 37th Street to Brighton 14th Street 40°34′24″N73°58′43″W / 40.5733°N 73.9787°W | Brooklyn | A 2.7-mile (4.3 km) wooden boardwalk on the Coney Island shorefront, constructed from 1922 to 1941. [30] The boardwalk measures 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 m) wide [41] and is made of various types of wood. [42] Numerous amusement attractions are placed on the boardwalk. [41] | |
Eastern Parkway | Running from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Avenue 40°40′11″N73°56′50″W / 40.6698°N 73.9473°W | Brooklyn | A 3.8-mile-long (6.1 km), [43] tree-lined parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. [44] [20] It was completed in 1874 and extends eastward from Prospect Park. The parkway includes a central roadway, two service roads, and two medians with trees and pedestrian paths. [20] [45] | ||
Fort Tryon Park | ![]() | Roughly bounded by Dyckman Street, Broadway, Cabrini Boulevard, 190th Street, and Henry Hudson Parkway 40°51′48″N73°55′56″W / 40.8634°N 73.9322°W | Manhattan | A 67-acre (27 ha) park on a ridge in Upper Manhattan. [46] The park was created between 1931 and 1935 on land donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr. [23] The park's design includes plantings, lawns, and pathways, [46] in addition to the Cloisters museum. [23] | |
Grand Army Plaza | ![]() | Bounded by Fifth Avenue, 58th Street, Grand Army Plaza West, and 60th Street 40°45′53″N73°58′23″W / 40.7647°N 73.9731°W | Manhattan | A 0.62-acre (0.25 ha) plaza, [47] designed by Carrère and Hastings and completed in 1916 at the southeastern corner of Central Park. [48] The plaza is centered around an equestrian statue of William Tecumseh Sherman on its northern half and the Pulitzer Fountain on its southern half. [48] [49] | |
Morningside Park | Bounded by Morningside Drive, Amsterdam Avenue, 123rd Street, Morningside Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, and 110th Street 40°48′23″N73°57′31″W / 40.8063°N 73.9585°W | Manhattan | A 30-acre (12 ha) park along a natural bluff in Upper Manhattan, [50] designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. [27] [50] It was completed in 1895. [50] The park includes an artificial ornamental pond and waterfall, [51] rock outcroppings, three sculptures, and paths. [52] | ||
Ocean Parkway | Running from Church Avenue to Sea Breeze Avenue 40°36′53″N73°58′07″W / 40.6146°N 73.9686°W | Brooklyn | A 5-mile (8.0 km), [53] tree-lined parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. [44] [54] It was completed in 1876 and extends southward from Prospect Park. [54] The parkway includes a central roadway, two service roads, and two medians with trees and pedestrian paths. [54] [55] | ||
Old Croton Aqueduct Walk | ![]() | Running from 179th Street to Kingsbridge Road 40°51′45″N73°54′15″W / 40.8626°N 73.9042°W | Bronx | A 4.9-mile (7.9 km) linear park along the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which operated as an aqueduct from 1852 to 1955. [33] The land alongside the aqueduct has been used as a park since 1930. [33] [56] It includes playgrounds, athletic courts, and a path. [56] | |
Prospect Park | Bounded by Prospect Park Southwest, Prospect Park West, Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Avenue, and Parkside Avenue 40°39′45″N73°58′10″W / 40.6624°N 73.9694°W | Brooklyn | A 526-acre (213 ha) park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. [57] It was substantially completed in 1873. [58] The park is divided into three landscaped regions and contains structures such as a boathouse, a shelter, and two historic houses. A network of paths meanders through the landscape. [38] | ||
Riverside Park and Riverside Drive | ![]() | Bounded by 72nd Street, the Hudson River, St. Clair Place, and the easternmost roadway of Riverside Drive 40°48′01″N73°58′25″W / 40.8002°N 73.9737°W | Manhattan | Riverside Park, and Riverside Drive at its eastern border, were both designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux starting in the 1870s. [57] The original park covers 191 acres (77 ha) [59] and was redesigned and expanded to 293 acres (119 ha) in the 1930s. [21] Paths, plantings, and play areas are placed on four tiers, which slope downward from Riverside Drive to the Hudson River. [21] | |
Verdi Square | ![]() | Bounded by Broadway, 73rd Street, Amsterdam Avenue, and 72nd Street 40°46′45″N73°58′54″W / 40.7791°N 73.9816°W | Manhattan | A 0.10-acre (0.040 ha) park acquired in 1887. [60] It is named for the composer Giuseppe Verdi and is centered around the Giuseppe Verdi Monument, dedicated in 1906. [60] [61] |
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status, and regulating them after designation. It is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation. As of July 1, 2020, the LPC has designated more than 37,800 landmark properties in all five boroughs. Most of these are concentrated in historic districts, although there are over a thousand individual landmarks, as well as numerous interior and scenic landmarks.
McCarren Park is a public park in Brooklyn, New York City. It is located on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint and is bordered by Nassau Avenue, Bayard Street, Lorimer Street and North 12th Street. The park contains facilities for recreational softball, volleyball, soccer, handball, and other games. It is also used for sunbathing and dog-walking. It also includes the McCarren Play Center, which consists of a recreation center and a pool. McCarren Park is maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Otto H. Kahn House is a mansion at 1 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, in the Carnegie Hill section of the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The four-story mansion was designed by architects J. Armstrong Stenhouse and C. P. H. Gilbert in the neo-Italian Renaissance style. It was completed in 1918 as the town residence of the German-born financier and philanthropist Otto H. Kahn and his family. The Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private school, owns the Kahn House along with the adjacent James A. Burden House, which is internally connected. The mansion is a New York City designated landmark and, along with the Burden House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ocean Parkway is a 4.86-mile-long (7.82 km) boulevard in the west-central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is inventoried by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) as New York State Route 908H (NY 908H), an unsigned reference route. The parkway is a New York City scenic landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Washington Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights section of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It runs along the banks of the Hudson River next to Riverside Drive and the Henry Hudson Parkway from West 155th Street to Dyckman Street. The George Washington Bridge crosses above the park; below the bridge is a small point of land called Jeffrey's Hook, which is the site of the Little Red Lighthouse.
The Merchant's House Museum, also known as the Old Merchant's House and the Seabury Tredwell House, is a historic house museum at 29 East Fourth Street in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Built by the hatter Joseph Brewster between 1831 and 1832, the house is a four-story building with a Federal-style brick facade and a Greek Revival interior. It served as the residence of the Tredwell family for almost a century before it reopened as a museum in 1936. The Merchant's House Museum is the only nineteenth-century family home in New York City with intact exteriors and interiors.
Eastern Parkway is a major east–west boulevard in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it was built between 1870 and 1874 and has been credited as the world's first parkway. At the time of its construction, Eastern Parkway went to the eastern edge of Brooklyn, hence its name.
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The Scribner Building is a commercial structure at 155 Fifth Avenue, near 21st Street, in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Ernest Flagg in the Beaux Arts style, it was completed in 1893 as the corporate headquarters of Charles Scribner's Sons publishing company.
The Riegelmann Boardwalk is a 2.7-mile-long (4.3 km) boardwalk along the southern shore of Coney Island in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, facing the Atlantic Ocean. Opened in 1923, the boardwalk runs between West 37th Street to the west, at the edge of the Sea Gate neighborhood, and Brighton 15th Street to the east, in Brighton Beach. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The New York Savings Bank Building is a former bank building in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Constructed for the defunct New York Savings Bank from 1896 to 1898, it occupies an L-shaped site on 81 Eighth Avenue, at the northwestern corner with 14th Street. The New York Savings Bank Building was designed by Robert Henderson Robertson, with later additions by George H. Provot and Halsey, McCormack & Helmer. The building's facade and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel is an American preservationist, historian, author, and television producer. She is an advocate for the preservation of the historic built environment and the arts. She has worked in the fields of art, architecture, crafts, historic preservation, fashion, and public policy in the U.S. She is the author of 24 books, numerous articles and essays, and recipient of many honors and awards. She is a former White House Assistant, the first Director of Cultural Affairs in New York City, and the longest serving New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner.
287 Broadway is a residential building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Reade Street in the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The six-story, cast iron building was designed by John B. Snook in the French Second Empire and Italianate styles and was completed in 1872. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, it served as an office building before becoming a residential structure. 287 Broadway is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Jackie Robinson Park is a public park in the Hamilton Heights and Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. The approximately 12.77-acre (5.17 ha) park is bounded by Bradhurst Avenue to the east, 155th Street to the north, Edgecombe Avenue to the west, and 145th Street to the south. The park has baseball fields, basketball courts, restrooms, and a bandshell, which are arranged around the park's steep terrain. It also includes the Jackie Robinson Play Center, which consists of a recreation center and a pool. Jackie Robinson Park is maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
James Amster was an interior decorator in New York City in the 1960s who created Amster Yard, a New York City designated landmark.
The Weeping Beech was a historic tree located at Weeping Beech Park in Flushing, Queens, New York City. It was the mother of all European weeping beeches in the United States.
The Bowling Green Offices Building is an office building located at 11 Broadway, across from Bowling Green park in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. The 21-story building, erected between 1895 and 1898, is 272.5 feet (83.1 m) tall.
The Pepsi-Cola sign is a neon sign at Gantry Plaza State Park in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The sign, visible from Manhattan and the East River, was built in 1940 and originally installed atop PepsiCo 's bottling factory nearby. It is composed of a 50-foot (15 m) depiction of a Pepsi bottle, as well as lettering that reflected PepsiCo's logo when the sign was commissioned.
Aqueduct Walk is a community park in The Bronx, New York City, located between Kingsbridge Road and West Tremont Avenue. It spans over two zip codes and two Bronx community boards. Its facilities include basketball courts, restrooms, playground and water sprinklers. The park forms part of the Old Croton Aqueduct and is a New York City scenic landmark.