The Visionary Manhattan-Brooklyn Greenway
By Deborah Harley
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were more than just the designers of Central Park. They were the first urbanists—city planners who sought to build and improve cities in ways that would enhance the lives of the inhabitants. Many of their ideas were decades ahead of their time. One of those ideas was a Manhattan-Brooklyn greenway.
After formalizing their business partnership in 1865, when Central Park was still being built according to their plan, Olmsted and Vaux started offering design and engineering services for “the laying-out of Towns, Villages, Parks, Cemeteries, and Gardens.” In 1866, they submitted their initial plan for Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which was a separate city from Manhattan at the time. The plan offered a farsighted vision for the park. Olmsted and Vaux foresaw Brooklyn as being an integral part of a great metropolis, along with Manhattan, and proposed a system of parks and scenic grounds connecting the two cities.
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were more than just the designers of Central Park. They were the first urbanists—city planners who sought to build and improve cities in ways that would enhance the lives of the inhabitants. Many of their ideas were decades ahead of their time. One of those ideas was a Manhattan-Brooklyn greenway.
After formalizing their business partnership in 1865, when Central Park was still being built according to their plan, Olmsted and Vaux started offering design and engineering services for “the laying-out of Towns, Villages, Parks, Cemeteries, and Gardens.” In 1866, they submitted their initial plan for Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which was a separate city from Manhattan at the time. The plan offered a farsighted vision for the park. Olmsted and Vaux foresaw Brooklyn as being an integral part of a great metropolis, along with Manhattan, and proposed a system of parks and scenic grounds connecting the two cities.
December Tours
Wednesday, December 4, at 11 AM |
Wednesday, December 11, at 11 AM
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Saturday, December 21, at 1 PM
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Friday, December 27, at 1 PM
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Monday, December 30, at 1 PM
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About "Take a Walk New York" Tours
We are a group of New York City licensed tour guides offering a New York experience that is beyond the standard fare. Let us take you on a walk through the greatest city in the world and discover why New York is a place like no other.
