Robert Moses Parks

Robert Moses became New York City Parks Commissioner in 1934 under the direction of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, having lobbied for a single authority to have control of the parks in New York City. Until then, each borough had its own parks commissioner. As soon as he was sworn in, he got to work implementing plans, many of which were ready to go, to refurbish several parks throughout the city. Parks that Robert Moses renovated include:

• Bronx - St. James, Crotona, and Macombs Dam

• Brooklyn - McCarren and Fort Greene

• Queens - Crocheron, Chisholm, and Kissena

• Manhattan - Mount Morris, Carl Schurz, and Manhattan Square

By the summer of 1934, several parks and playgrounds had been renovated with new lush green lawns, trees and flowers. Playgrounds had new equipment and asphalt. The opportunity for Moses to be able to work so quickly was aided by public works money available from the federal government and so many people out of work, following the Great Depression. In 1934, half af all engineers and six out of seven architects were looking for work. Moses sent out telegrams to engineers and architects across New York State. On January 28, 1934 a line of men waiting for the opportunity to work stretched along Fifth Avenue from the Arsenal, at the 64th Street entrance to Central Park, to 72nd Street. Moses needed blueprints completed immediately and hired 600 of those waiting.

Park construction also included the renovation of the zoo at Prospect Park in Brooklyn and a new zoo built at Barrett Park in Staten Island. Later in the same year, several others were renovated. Two of the most notable and recognized renovations occurred at Central Park and Bryant Park, both in Manhattan. The renovation at Central Park also included rebuilding the zoo.

At Bryant Park, located between 41st and 42nd streets on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, four acres of new lush green grass were surrounded by new concrete walkways and balustrades. Two hundred trees were brought from nurseries on Long Island. Prior to the renovations in 1934, Bryant Park was a weed filled lot. The park remains a vibrant part of midtown Manhattan.

Today, one of the most iconic features of the Central Park Zoo is the Sea Lion pond. It was built by Robert Moses as part of the renovations to the Central Park Zoo, which opened with great fanfare in December 1934. The zoo was previously called The Menagerie and featured a number of dilapidated buildings housing a number of exotic animals., many of which had been given as gifts from foreign dignitaries. Several of the buildings that are still an integral part of the zoo were built by Moses. The zoo was renovated again in the 1990’s and today only features small animals, but the Sea Lion pond still continues to intrigue visitors and can be seen when walking past the zoo’s main entrance.

In 1934, there were 119 playgrounds in the city. By 1960, there were 777. Today, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation manages more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities. Recreational facilities at several parks include public swimming pools that are to free. There are 79 swimming pools in the city, which include 15 Olympic size pools.

The summer of 1936 was one of the hottest summers on record in New York City and during that summer, Robert Moses built 11 new pools. They are:

• Astoria Park Pool, Queens (the largest in the city) - the complex includes a diving pool and an olympic size pool

• McCarenn Park Pool, Brooklyn

• Crotona Pool, Bronx

• Hamilton Fish Pool, Manhattan

• Thomas Jefferson Pool, Manhattan

• Betsy Head Pool, Manhattan

• Red Hook Pool, Brooklyn

• Joseph H. Lyons Pool, Staten Island

• Jackie Robinson Pool, Manhattan

• Sunset Pool, Brooklyn